After pictures of an alcohol brand named ‘Ginnah’ went viral on social media, the Indian media outlets, mostly, have started reporting that the bottle was named after the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
According to the photos whose veracity is unconfirmed as of now — except that it has garnered many reactions on Twitter — it is a drink “enriched with the essence of randomly selected fresh herb, whole spice and dried fruits”.
Also, the back label of the bottle reads: “Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the founder of Pakistan that came into being in August 1947 as a secular state. Decades later, the country was pushed over the cliff by a military dictator [Gen Ziaul Haq] aided by supporters in Washington D.C.”
It went on to say Jinnah, more commonly known as ‘The Great Leader’, would never have approved of the country Gen Zia turned Pakistan to for the designs of the “clergy”. It also referred to Jinnah’s rather exquisite lifestyle, saying he indulged in gin and whiskey throughout his life.
“In memory of the man of pleasure who he was: ‘Ginnah’,” the bottom of the label reads.
A Twitter user posted photos of the gin named ‘Ginnah’ after the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam.
Fashion designer Deepak Parwani wrote: “The world has move on to this #Jinnah.”
While some social media users are still wondering if these photos are legit.
The alcohol in Pakistan was criminalised by PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who came to power in 1970s, to appease the religious lobby. Before that, it was readily available in the big cities of Pakistan. Following Bhutto, Gen Zia made Islamic laws stringent and Pakistan starting moving away from the idea of a modern Muslim state.
