Moderate Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that Jammu and Kashmir government was promoting liquor in the Valley and warned that they will launch an agitation against it, if the government fails to ban its sale.
“Liquor is being sold openly in shops, restaurants, bars, clubs and our youth have become drug addicts,” Mirwaiz said while addressing Seerat Conference here. “We have concrete evidence that liquor is being sold openly across Kashmir, especially in Srinagar city.”
“The government has given a free license to some people to sell liquor on the pretext of giving fillip to tourism. We are not against tourism which contributes greatly to state’s economy. But we will not allow tourism promotion at the cost of violation of basic principles of Islam,” Mirwaiz said.
The Hurriyat leader vowed that they will not allow this. “We ask the government to announce a complete ban on the sale of liquor in Kashmir. If government fails, we will take to roads,” he warned.
Drug abuse
Mirwaiz also expressed serious concern over the rising drug abuse. “I met a couple of doctors recently and they told me that youth have fallen prey to drugs. They take Codeine, Corex, Alprax and what not? Here I want to ask the police what they are doing to curb the drug menace,” he said.
“Drugs and even banned medicines are being sold openly in the market. How come the youth manage to buy these drugs? This is for police to answer. I believe either police has failed to break the nexus or else they are hand-in-glove with the drug mafia,” Mirwaiz alleged.
Islamic banking
The Hurriyat leader also accused the state government of not allowing Islamic banking system in Kashmir. “In Islam, interest is strongly prohibited. When Government of India has no problem in having Islamic banking system in Kerala, we are surprised why J&K government doesn’t allow it in Kashmir. Why can’t JK Bank introduce this system in Kashmir?” he asked.
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