KARACHI: The Sindh excise and taxation ministry on Tuesday allowed reopening of the sealed wine shops by withdrawing its previous order for cancellation of their licences, officials said.

The excise and taxation ministry sent a letter to its directors in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpur­khas and Benazirabad regions referring to the “order of the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan, dated 23-11-2016, in the subject line setting aside the order of the Honourable High Court of Sindh dated 27-10-2016”.

The letter also mentioned advocate general’s opinion on the matter. The AG was quoted as saying that since “the order of the honourable high court has been set aside, the previous position has been restored and the wine shops sealed earlier stand restored in terms of the order.”

It said the competent authority had been pleased to withdraw cancellation orders issued in compliance of the order of the SHC, dated Oct27, ‘with immediate effect’.

“The competent authority has further been pleased to allow the functioning of all trade and import of potable liquor and retail of liquor licences or hotel or club licences or permissions of the province of Sindh functioning as on Oct 26 with immediate effect.

The directors of all the regions were advised to ask the district officers concerned to conduct physical stock taking all the stock available at the licensed premises at the time of de-sealing of the shops and report to the ministry.

Officials in the Sindh government corroborated the notification issued by the excise and taxation ministry.

Last week, the Supreme Court had annulled the Oct 27 SHC order about the cancellation of licences of about 124 wine shops in the province. A three-member bench presided by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing the case on a petition against the SHC order.

Accepting the appeals of the petitioners and returning the case to the SHC, the apex court ordered hearings on the case to take place on a daily basis starting next week. “This order should not be taken to mean that the Supreme Court has granted permission for the sale of alcohol,” Justice Nisar said during the hearing.

He added: “We are not concerned with whether wine retail is permitted or not, we are concerned with how lawful the matter is.”

The petition was moved on behalf of the Kohistan Wine Shop, Karachi; Azad Wine Shop, Karachi; Mehran Wine Shop, Hyderabad; Arjun Wine Agency, Mirpurkhas; Mazda Trading, Karachi; Master Wine Shop, Sukkur; Sindh Wine Shop, Nawabshah; and Lucky and Company, Karachi.

The petitioners pleaded before the SC that they were law-abiding citizens and had paid Rs3 billion in duties to the government last year.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2016