A constitutional amendment bill has been introduced in the National Assembly Secretariat by a member of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party. The bill aims to impose a nationwide ban on alcohol consumption, extending the prohibition to non-Muslims by eliminating the current religious exemption granted in the Constitution.
The bill, titled "The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2026," seeks to amend Article 37 of the Constitution, which currently allows limited alcohol consumption for non-Muslims. Specifically, the proposed amendment calls for the removal of the phrase "and, in the case of non-Muslims, religious purposes" from paragraph (h) of Article 37.
If passed, the amendment would eliminate the legal basis for granting alcohol permits or exemptions to non-Muslims, resulting in a blanket prohibition across the country without religious differentiation.
The bill argues in its "Statement of Objects and Reasons" that alcohol consumption is prohibited in all religions, making it unfair to associate it with religious minorities. It emphasizes that it is unjust to link religious minorities with alcohol, as all religions forbid its consumption.
Citing constitutional provisions related to Islamic principles, the bill references Article 227, which mandates that all laws be aligned with the teachings of Islam as outlined in the Quran and Sunnah. The bill highlights that Islam does not permit a Muslim state to issue alcohol permits to non-Muslims, who themselves do not consume alcohol due to religious beliefs.
The bill specifies that it will be enforced immediately upon enactment.
