Islamabad, Oct.20 (ANI): It is an Islamic republic where 97 per cent of the population is forbidden to drink alcohol and a country where drinkers can face 80 lashes as per Islamic law for defying the edict, but Pakistan is poised to become an exporter of beer.
An official in the Ministry of Commerce in Islamabad told The (London) Times that a ruling this month by its Economic Committee on Trade will allow Pakistan to export beer and spirits from next year.
"India would be the largest market for our alcoholic products. It would be exported through non-Muslim enterprises to non-Muslim countries," the official said.
The change in law, which requires final approval by the Prime Minister, was welcomed today by Sabih-ur-Rehman, a retired army major who runs Murree, the Pakistan brewery, in Rawalpindi.
It is licensed to produce beer and spirits for consumption by foreigners and Pakistani minorities, including Christians and Hindus.
Alcohol exports were banned by Pakistan in 1977 by the then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the father of Benazir Bhutto, in a move to favor Islamist groups. (ANI)
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