Srinagar, May 8 (KNS): Expressing concern over the rising drug abuse in the Kashmir Valley, cleric Aga Syed Hassan on Friday called for a unified societal campaign against all intoxicants, including alcohol, and criticised the "double standards" in government policy that permits wine shops while cracking down on narcotics.
Delivering his Friday sermon at the Markazi Imambara in Budgam, the president of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian said that while the government's ongoing measures against drug abuse were appreciable, authorities must adopt a consistent and principled approach towards all forms of intoxication.
"Alcohol is equally destructive and harmful to society, having ruined countless families and destroyed the future of many young people, just as narcotic substances have done," he said.
The cleric criticised what he termed as a contradictory approach, noting that the administration was vigorously campaigning against drugs on one hand while facilitating wine shops on the other.
Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHe said such a policy sends confusing signals to society and undermines the broader moral fight against addiction.
Aga Syed Hassan further observed that alcohol is prohibited in all major religions and that official patronage of wine shops was unacceptable from both moral and social perspectives. He emphasised that the fight against addiction cannot succeed unless society collectively opposes every form of substance abuse without discrimination.
Urging religious scholars, civil society members, parents, and youth to play their role, he asserted that the people of Kashmir would raise their voice collectively against both drugs and alcohol to safeguard future generations and protect the moral fabric of society. (KNS)