Islamabad: Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Shahi Syed has suggested death penalty for politicians who consume alcohol.
He made the remarks at the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that met on Friday to hold discussions on local and foreign booze, reports the Geo News.
"Parliamentarians represent the people and if they are not punished for doing a wrong thing then why should poor people be?" Syed questioned, adding that politicians should be hanged to death for consuming liquor, while a lay man should face 6 months or a year in prison.
Commenting on the consumption of marijuana, he said, "People call it darwesh's intoxicant, but that too is wrong and should also be prohibited".
Senator Rehman Malik, who chaired the meeting, said, "It should be declared whether someone ever consumed alcohol, marijuana or opium, prior to contesting an election".
To this, Syed added that if this happens then majority of politicians would be disqualified. The ANP senator regretted that a Hindu is named for selling and consuming liquor, but it is actually done by a Muslim.
Consuming and selling liquor is prohibited in Pakistan; it's sale, however, is permitted to people of other religions through licensed liquor stores.
