Hindu minority has right to keep and drink wine on religious celebrations only: SHC CJ

SUKKUR: There is a section in the Constitution of Pakistan that says that the Hindu minority can keep and drink wine on the occasion of their religious celebrations only, but they do not have the right to keep wine shops open round the year.

This was stated by the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, Justice Syed Sajjad Ali Shah, while talking to media at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a civil court in Gharo (Thatta district). 

He said, “We are trying to dispose of the cases within time to ensure provision of speedy justice to the people.” The Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court said that comparison of the judges with the staff was not good, and that there was a chronic disease in the society that everyone wanted to get favour either legal or illegal as relief. 

He said that if anybody with the collusion of the staff of the judiciary got their issue resolved, then it could not be linked with any judge, and that it was not a reflection on the judges. The Chief Justice said, “Our judges are honest, and they have all the legal expertise to deliver justice to the litigants.” However, he said that some 25 judges had been terminated within a year over the allegations of corruption.

He said, “We have started accountability from home to bring betterment in the judiciary.” The Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court said that pending cases of last year had been disposed of. He said that judges were conducting surprise visits of jails to check that the prisoners were being given all the facilities that they had the entitlement for according to the jail manual.

District and Session Judge Tasleem Sultana, the Deputy Commissioner of Thatta, Tahir Hussain Sangi, and SSP Fida Hussain Mastoi also attended the foundation stone laying ceremony.