ISLAMABAD: Treasury member Ali Akbar Wains on Thursday broke a taboo in the National Assembly (NA) by suggesting that the government relax the ban on alcohol to wean young men from addiction to drugs like heroin and morphine.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi seconded Wains’ suggestion, and only Environment Minister Tahir Iqbal and treasury member Zulfiqar Dillon opposed the proposal.
“In my personal opinion, the government should relax the ban on liquor to arrest the rising trend of the use of drugs like heroin, morphine and hashish among the youth of the country. Most drug addicts are between the ages of 20 and 30 years,” Wains said.
By banning the “minor evil” of alcohol, the government had given the “major evil” of drugs to flourish in the country, he added.
Niazi said he supported Wains’ suggestion. “It is a fact that restrictions on liquor have resulted in a surge in the use of deadly drugs in Pakistan,” he said.
He added: “I am not going to mention how many members of this honourable house drink.” The speaker expunged his remarks, but Niazi insisted that he stood by them.
Iqbal opposed the suggestion, saying that alcohol was prohibited in Islam, while Dillon accused Wains of lobbying for liquor traders.
The suggestion that the alcohol ban should be lifted drew wide grins from most of the parliamentarians in the house, but they stayed silent. The debate started during question hour when Gulzar Sabtain, parliamentary secretary for narcotics control, told the lower house that there were over four million drug addicts in Pakistan.
“Out of these four million, 500,000 are chronic heroin addicts including 60,000 intravenous drug users. The rest use drugs other than heroin,” Sabtain said.
He said the Narcotics Control Ministry had set up two treatment and rehabilitation centres for addicts in Islamabad and Quetta costing Rs 22.152 million each. He said 647 patients had been treated in these centres so far, 54 of which had been given jobs over the last two years
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
when you have a 'president' famous/infamous for his drinking and 'womanising', what do you expect?
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
Exactly. To wean young lads off heroine and designer drugs my arse! Those high and mighty just want easier access to the booze themselves.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
4Million drug addicts when there is a ban on alcohol, coincidence? Drug trade was used by the jihadis to fund their nefarious wars that have now tranmutated into sectarian, anti-govt, anti-women, anti-modernity and support the hardline view of fundamentalists. But the main problem is control over the drug trade, these poor simpletons are being misused for their religious emotional attachment.
Will removal of ban on alcohol help the drug trade? I dont think so, its a much bigger problem than simplified by our erstwhile Mna's.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
I am intrigued. Please tell us more about this sensational news.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
In a way it would be good, maybe if it was legal they'd be less cheap/poisonous alcolholic beverages being passed off as genuine, they'd be quality control and less ppl getting killed.
I don't drink and think it's disguisting but a lot of kids do, even in conservative cities like Peshawar where my cousin died of alcohol poisoning and he wasn't one to buy cheap siht spirits because his family was really well off so even from trustworhty sources it can be hazardous the way things are...
I wouldn't drink but others being in khumaar can be to my adavantage, sometimes... So that's a added adavantage for me, can spice up my visits a little.. :D
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
What a simpleton approach to addiction. he makes it sound as though alcohol is any less socially or medically harmful than drugs.
His logic is so badly flawed. We would at best merely replace our legion of drug addicts with legions of alcohol addicts; alcohol is realisticallly less taboo is our society than drugs and so a lifting of the ban would result in a huge uplift in drinking because the already strong demand would be far easier to meet.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!
I think he heard it from benazir, who probably had some first hand experience.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
It must be correct then :-)
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!
u still going to whine about ‘personal attacks’ and ‘cheap shots’ 
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
nope, but zardari is no different.
Have a talk with people in Pakistan, this is not uncommon.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!
Questions:
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Aren’t narcotics (heroin, cocain, crack, hashish) banned in Pakistan already?
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Why are the 20-30 something using hard drugs? Because, they don’t have alcohol available? (
)
Before promulgating such whimsical policies (“alcohol will become a substitute for our youth”), these legislators should talk to country’s sociologists and social workers about this problem. Heck, go to YouTube and look up shows about Pakistan and drug use, you’ll find scores of interviews.
Pakistan is headed for economy progress and prosperty; the last thing it needs is a generation of alkies and druggies who can’t ride or amplify this wave of propsperity.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
*
It may not be uncommon, but I would like to learn more about what you said about Musharaf, and I quote:' when you have a *'president' famous/infamous** for his drinking and **'womanising', what do you expect?'*
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!
4 hours ago you accused musharraf of something. you were later asked to provide more info, which you did not, so you basically called him a womanizer, I basically called benazir the same..mayeb a man-izer.
so if I am wrong here, you were wrong then.
or we are both not wrong.
take your pick.
I am more than willing to apoloigize and remove my statement though. question is, would you?
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
so if I am wrong here, you were wrong then.
or we are both not wrong.
take your pick.
I am more than willing to apoloigize and remove my statement though. question is, would you?
Amreekan 'dude', I will say what i have said before- as you consider yourself an expert in Pakistan, you need to spend some time in Pakistan. What I have said is commonly known amongst those in Pakistan.
You will not read about it in the 'Chicago Tribune' and other distant papers you rely on.
In BB's time, it was Zardari, now the same alcohol and woman filled nights are being indulged in by Musharraf.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!
“whine” and “cheap shots”, exactly what MNA wants legalized.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
TheRealDeal nay farmaya
*Amreekan 'dude' *
ji desi 'banda'?
** I will say what i have said before- as you consider yourself an expert in Pakistan, you need to spend some time in Pakistan. **
I have never claimed to be an expert on Pakistan. However, I do question those who consider themselves as experts. Sometimes their feathers get ruffled when what they post as authorities does not pass the logic test. Or when they cant read stats :D
*What I have said is commonly known amongst those in Pakistan. *
It is also commonly known by those in Pakistan that WTC was attacked by israel as well.
Sorry if I dont buy heresay. because by law, making allegations which one can not prove is consider libel and punishable (btw, true in both US and Pakistani laws)
You will not read about it in the 'Chicago Tribune' and other distant papers you rely on.
these other highly accliamed worldclass papers that you may read this stuff from, do they have proof of his drinking and womanizing?
In BB's time, it was Zardari, now the same alcohol and woman filled nights are being indulged in by Musharraf.
dunno, did not see any proof of zardari's indulgence either.
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!
hahahahahahahaha
Re: MNA wants alcohol ban lifted - WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!
Other Sher Afghan suggestions...
Legalize prostitution for unmarried men also while you at it.
Allow roberies as a prefession to eliminate unemployed.
Allow abused women to kill their husbands.
etc etc..