Sindh allows liquor shops to open under SOPs

The Sindh Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control in a notification has issued the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the liquor shops to open.

The SOPs issued by the government said the competent authority “has been pleased to decide the opening” of wine shops in the province from the third day of Eid “on prescribed days in observance of the following Standard Operating Procedure besides in observance of the license conditions”.

It added: “The wine shops will operate for limited hours from 10am to 4pm with a limited number of Naukernama holder and authorised person. All Naukernama holders shall wear mask, gloves and avoid handshake. The person handling the sale counter must wear face protection mask. Hand sanitizer shall be made available at all wine shops counters.”

It said social distancing should be maintained of at least six feet from each other and only one customer shall be allowed to stand at the counter. “Marking shall be drawn outside the wine shops with the distance of at least six feet for the customer waiting outside. The licensee shall ensure that there will be no gathering and clusters of customers outside the wine shop.”

The district officers shall depute field staff for inspection of wine shops for the observance of the “above mentioned Standard Operating Procedure”, it said. All district officers shall pay surprise visits to the wine shops of their jurisdiction and make sure that “the above mentioned Standard Operating Procedures are observed in letter and spirit”, it said.

In case of non-compliance, it said, “the Retail Off Wine Shop shall be sealed” by the district officers under intimation to the relevant director and the director of the “General Excise & Taxation and Narcotics Control Sindh Karachi, with a report in writing for further necessary action”. This order of the opening of wine shops was subject to any order issued by the home department in future regarding the opening of shops in Sindh and their timings, it added.