PESHAWAR, May 26: A liquor outlet, the Green’s Hotel, has filed a writ petition in the Peshawar High Court challenging the cancellation  of liquor permits by the NWFP government.

The petitioner, running one of the two officially-sanctioned liquor outlets in the NWFP, has stated that the move of the provincial government violated the Constitution.

A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan and Justice Ijaz Afzal, will take up the petition for preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

Advocate Qazi Mohammad Anwer will appear for the petitioner.

The petitioner claimed that it had paid Rs27.25 million as excise duty  on the sale of liquor from 1997 till May 1.

It said that on verbal directives of the provincial government, the excise and taxation officer No.II, Peshawar, on May 13 sealed the stock of liquor comprising 542 gallons of whisky and brandy and 1,985 bottles of beer. The petitioner apprehended wastage of the stock worth Rs20 million.

The petitioner claimed that no written order had been issued for the cancellation of liquor permits.

The petition stated that the steps taken by the provincial government had damaged the tourism industry in the province and now instead of Swat and Kalam the tourists preferred to visit Murree and Bhurban.

It said the petitioner was running a chain of hotels and restaurants and was permitted under the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979, to run the liquor outlet for non-Muslims and foreigners.

The respondents in the petition are: the NWFP government through the  chief secretary, excise and taxation secretary and director-general and ETO No.II and assistant ETO, Peshawar.

The petitioner stated that in 1972 the provincial government had banned selling of liquor, but in 1973 it was exempted from the ban and allowed to run the outlet for non-Muslims and foreigners. It added that after the introduction of the Prohibition Order in 1979, the liquor permits were again cancelled, but later the petitioner was allowed to resume the business.