Two Pakistani Muslims are facing charges for selling alcohol in the conservative Muslim country by pretending to be non-Muslims. In Pakistan, a permit is required by non-Muslims to buy and sell liquor.
According to the charges filed by Pakistan’s Customs Department in Islamabad High court, Brothers Ishtiaq Ahmad and Aamir Malik illegally obtained a Liquor License by pretending to be Ahmadis, a minority Muslim sect declared non-Muslim under Pakistani law.
The brothers bought a suspended liquor license in 2014 by paying off customs employees and posing as Ahmadis by submitting written testimonies. Afte getting the license they registered a company under the name of ‘Sun Diplomatic WareHouse’ and started importing expensive liquor. The brothers are also accused of evading tax of Rs 980 million on the imported liquor by paying off customs officers.
The same case was dismissed by a judge earlier this year after the brothers submitted another affidavit in the court stating that they were (Ahmadis) and hence non-Muslims. However, the Customs Department has appealed the decision citing evidence from Government records which shows that the brothers, in fact, are Muslim.
Almost everyone in Pakistan knows that Ahmadi Muslims do not indulge in handling liquor of any kind let alone consuming it. Because it is Haram in Islam of Prophet Muhammad to which Ahmadi Muslims adhere to far more strongly than any other denomination of Muslims.
Authorities must punish these imposters who are committing a Fraud firstly by selling the banned goods, secondly posing as Ahmadi Muslims which clearly is a lie and thirdly bribing some Officials in order to conceal their ill-gained prophets to avoid paying Taxes which constitutes a Fraud on it's own.
It is hoped that the authorities will punish the offenders appropriately and harshly to set an example.