LAHORE: Personnel of the Excise Police and Defence Police stormed into Gai’a Japanese Fusion restaurant located in Phase 5 of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Saturday night, humiliated families and manhandled the staff members on a “tip-off” that alcohol was being served in the premises.
Video footage leaked by a person present at the restaurant during the raid shows that a large number of children were present in the restaurant when the law enforcers barged in without any warrant.
A female employee of the restaurant, requesting not to be named, told Pakistan Today that at least 7-8 officials of the excise department and local police entered the restaurant between 9-10pm and locked its main door.
“The officials said they had information that we serve alcohol on the premises, however they failed to find a single bottle during the search operation. The officials also manhandled some staff members and tried to coerce them into making false admission,” she said.
The employee said the entire drama, which spanned over 30 minutes, left the families present inside the restaurant shocked. “When some of the families tried to leave the restaurant the officials refused to open the door, resulting in a chaotic situation,” she said, adding that the police personnel left after they found nothing objectionable on the premises.
An angry customer, seeking anonymity, told Pakistan Today that the police raid had left him and his family in shock.
“It was traumatising for my children. We had gone there to have a peaceful dinner, not be humiliated by ill-mannered policemen,” he said.
Another diner, who was about to enter the restaurant when the raid unfolded, said that such incidents make no sense to him.
“So what if people drink? It is between them and Allah. Child rapes are a bigger problem, the government should focus on that issue more than their obsession of moral and religious policing of the general public,” he said.
Pakistan Today made repeated attempts to contact the Excise director general but his phone was turned off.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Defence B Police said that he was on leave when the raid was conducted.
“No warrant is needed to conduct raid on a public gathering, however police found nothing illegal from the premises,” he said, adding that the raid was led by the excise officials and his staff was only accompanying them.
In a similar raid on September 7, Cafe Aylanto’s branch at MM Alam Road was sealed after several premium bottles of liquor were allegedly found on their premises. The restaurant was later reopened after a “deal” was reached between the management and the city administration.
