AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Addressing a press conference on Sunday, JUIAK General Secretary Sheikh Ibrahim Khalili and Political In-charge Sajjad Kargili said the organisation, along with the public, would be compelled to launch protests if the sale and open consumption of liquor were permitted in Kargil.
The leaders maintained that alcohol has no place in Ladakhi society and argued that the policy could have adverse consequences for the younger generation and the broader social fabric of the region.
The organisation said it would meet Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to submit an official representation demanding the withdrawal of the policy and the imposition of a complete ban on liquor in the region.
JUIAK also called upon religious scholars, community leaders, and social organisations to raise public awareness about the harmful effects of alcohol and substance abuse.
The statement comes amid growing opposition in Ladakh to the liberalised liquor policy introduced by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration.
Now sale of hard liquor including foreign liquor and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) would be permitted in retail vends while the number of liquor vends would increase from two to 20 in the UT.
As per the new excise policy, sale of hard liquor, including foreign liquor and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), is now permitted in the cold desert through retail vends.
Earlier, only beer, wine and Ready-to-Drink (RTD) beverages were permitted for retail sale through vends.
Similarly, the Union Government recently repealed the decades-old prohibition law in the Muslim-majority Union Territory of Lakshadweep through the Lakshadweep Excise Regulation, 2026, ending a near-total liquor ban that had been in place since 1979.
The new policy permits the licensed manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol, with authorities citing tourism and revenue generation as key objectives.
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