People’s Democratic Party leader and former Cabinet Minister Naeem Akhtar has said the long-running debate over liquor in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is not just about morality and faith. He stressed that the Modi-led Indian regime and its installed administration in the territory are pushing liquor sales mainly to boost revenue generation and tourism, disregarding overwhelming social and religious opposition. 

According to Kashmir Media Service, Akhtar, speaking in an episode of The Kashmir Notebook with Gowhar Geelani, discussed demands for a ban on liquor sales, strong social opposition, and the political undercurrents shaping the issue. He argued that successive regimes have framed liquor availability as part of a broader tourism strategy, despite consistent public resistance on cultural and religious grounds. 

“The question is not just about faith or morality,” Akhtar said. “It is also about how the state looks at revenue and tourism. That is where the politics of liquor comes in.”He added that while society continues to press for a complete ban, citing Kashmir’s Muslim-majority character, the administration’s reliance on excise income and the push to project a ‘tourist-friendly’ image keep the issue alive. 

Rights observers say the liquor debate highlights a deeper disregard for local sensitivities and religious values of the Muslim majority in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Analysts said that prioritizing excise revenue and tourist influx over widespread social opposition reflects a pattern of imposing policies that clash with the cultural and moral fabric of the territory.  “When administrative decisions repeatedly override the collective conscience of the majority community, it reinforces perceptions of alienation and cultural erasure,” one observer noted.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)