–Excise says will soon conduct raids on these restaurants and catch them red-handed
LAHORE: The Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control (ET&NC) department is planning to give a hard time to elite restaurants and cafes in the city that are involved in selling and serving alcoholic beverages in violation of hudd laws, Pakistan Today here on Saturday.
These 7-10 restaurants are situated in the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) and Gulberg.
After the raids on café Aylanto and Gai’a, the department had issued 250 warning letters to all such cafés, restaurants, and clubs, including Lahore Gymkhana and Royal Palm Golf and Country Club, regarding the liquor consumption on their premises.
After the issuance of that warning letter, most of the hotels, restaurants, cafes, and clubs started to avoid such activities. However, a number of restaurants still sell and serve alcohol.
“Almost seven to 10 restaurants in the area of DHA and Gulberg are still serving liquor to their customers. They start their business in late nights and students comprise the major part of their clientele,” an excise official disclosed.
“We are keeping an eye on such places and we do not want to raid them in a hurry, because the raid on Gia’a was not conducted on the right time, and the department failed to catch them red-handed. We also have the video footage and pictures of selling and serving the liquor at Gai’a, but the time when the raid was conducted was the family time so our teams were unable to find anything,” the official claimed.
He said this time the department has all the proofs and the plans and strategies were discussed to raid such places.
A café owner said liquor was a profitable business and most of the customers demand them to serve them.
“We are also not in favor of sale the liquor to underage. The laws and regulations cannot stop the consumption of liquor and due to this kind of regulation the people will shift on alternates, which are more dangerous rather than alcohol,” he added.
He said the government should formulate a policy on the sale of liquor but this kind of enforcement will create only depression in the society.
Excise and Taxation Officer Saffer Abbas Jappa said: “After the issuance of warning letters the sale and service of liquor is almost controlled in Lahore. Lahore Gymkhana is following the law. However, some of the cafes and restaurants who are still involved in this business are on our radar.”
Excise Director General Zahid Hussain said at least 10 restaurants situated in posh areas were still serving liquor to their customers. In a comment on the potential raids, he said the purpose to raid such places is only to curb the illegal sale of alcohol, not to harass families.
