The Sindh High Court (SHC) has summoned the director general of excise & taxation department to submit details regarding issuance of wine shops licenses.
The SHC bench directed the DG excise & taxation to produce details regarding wine shop licenses and tell the court how many such licenses have been issued so far.
Saleem Raza, a citizen, has cited Sindh government, DG Excise & Taxation, SSP South and SHO of Darakshan police station as respondents for openly selling of wine in several areas of district South Karachi.
The petitioner submitted that wine licenses were issued to people belonging to Christian community and other minorities but under the garb of these licenses wine was being sold in thickly populated Muslim areas also. Boat Basin, Clifton, SeaView, Korangi, Defense are the areas where wine is available, the petitioner pleaded.
According to the petitioner, DG Excise & Taxation never visited to check illegal selling of wine even during the holy month of Ramzan.
He requested the court to direct the respondents to produce details of the licenses issued so far. He also requested the court to cancel all illegal licenses granted to shopkeepers for the selling of wine.
The court summoned Director General Excise & Taxation department to submit details regarding the issued wine licenses along with record on 28th September.