Geelani demands total ban on sale of liquor in JK

Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani today demanded a complete ban on use and sale of liquor in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Liquor is the mother of all evils which not only causes cancer but also disturbs the social fabric by giving birth to many social evils," the separatist leader said.
"Geelani expressed dismay over the assembly speech of (Finance Minister) Abdul Rahim Rather that banning the sale of liquor will hit revenue generation in the state," a Hurriyat statement said.
There were four states in India which had completely banned the sale of liquor but they had not complained about loss of revenue, Geelani said.

"Rather's stand on the sale of liquor is unjustified," the Hurriyat hawk said adding one of the major fallouts of liquor consumption was increase in domestic violence against women.
The statement also referred to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's admission that he had failed to get back power projects from NHPC.
"If power projects, mortgaged with NHPC by Farooq Abdullah, be returned, Jammu and Kashmir will become the Switzerland of Asia," Geelani said.