Srinagar, Feb 04 (KNS) ; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday asserted that the relative peace and safety for people, especially women and girls, in Kashmir is partly due to the region’s limited access to alcohol, and urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to back her party’s bill seeking a complete ban on liquor in the Valley.
Speaking to news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) here, Mufti said the PDP is set to introduce a bill on the issue in the Assembly and appealed to the Chief Minister to “personally intervene” and ensure it is entertained.
“If the government claims there is opposition to such a bill in Jammu, why ignore the majority sentiment in Kashmir where people want alcohol to be banned?
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Taking a dig at the tourism-centric argument often cited against prohibition, the former chief minister said, “Tourists visit Gujarat and Bihar as well — both are dry states. Why can’t Kashmir have a ban?”
Mufti emphasised that a ban would reinforce the social and cultural ethos of Kashmir and safeguard its moral fabric.
She appealed to Omar Abdullah to “rise above political considerations” and support the proposed legislation “in the interest of Kashmiri society.” (KNS)