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📌Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Alcohol Some Statistics Extract from the Book, "Proposals and Notes on Constitution of Pilgrim Welfare Fund and Duties and Functions of Pilgrim welfare officers on Ships", Pages 106, 107, 108, & 109, printed by the Anjuman-i-Khaddamun Nabi, Pakistan, Karachi-2. I give below an idea about the expenditure on wine in Karachi City as appeared in Leader of the 8th August 1961.

Karachites Drink 2780 Bottles of wine a Day Karachi August 8, 1961: Karachites spend about Rs. 70,000 on Liquor Every Day, it was gathered today: Of this, nearly Rs. 20,000 goes in foreign exchange on the import of foreign liquor, almost everyday. (i.e. Rs. 73 Lakhs foreign exchange -are spent annually on import of foreign liquor for Karachi City only.) The consumption of country-made liquor is, however, greater than imported liquor.

The consumption of both the imported and country made liquor is on the increase in the sprawling city. On an average 480 bottles of imported wine are now consumed daily. Each bottle costs Rs. 45 to 50, This does not include the duty-free imported Liquor consumed by foreign missions in the city. In addition, about 800 bottles of Pakistan make, foreign style liquor, each bottle costing Rs. 20 to Rs.

30 are drunk every day, The largest daily consumption is of country made liquor; in all, about 1500 bottles, each available at Rs, 10/- are consumed; This liquor is sold loose, while others are supplied in sealed bottles. The beer is also in great demand and on an average 2400 bottles are drunk here every day. The prices of beer range from Rs. 3 to 5 per bottle. Of this, about 20 per cent beer is imported and the rest is country made.

30 Shops There are about 30 shops in the city dealing in liquor. Of these, 14 sell country made liquor, while the remaining 16, deal in imported wine and beer. The city has got about 30 bars where the liquor is served. About 10 hotels also serve the drinks. The consumption of liquor and the number of liquor drinking persons in the city is the highest in the country. The wine merchants in the city, it is estimated, pay about Rs. 50 lakhs annually as provincial excise duty on liquor.

In addition, custom duty and sales tax are paid to the Government on imported liquor, at the rate of Rs. 275/- per dozen bottles. An assessment fee is also charged from that on liquor-APP. (At the end of 1963 the number of shops in Karachi alone stood at 130, while that of the whole of West Pakistan 411).

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