Daijiworld Media Network - Karachi

Karachi, May 5: Pakistan’s only locally-owned brewery, Murree Brewery, has commenced exporting alcoholic beverages to select international markets, despite alcohol remaining banned for the country’s majority Muslim population for nearly five decades.

Company officials said the brewery has begun shipping beers and spirits to countries outside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), including the United Kingdom, Japan, Portugal and Thailand. The development follows approval granted by the Pakistan government in 2025 to export alcohol products.

Murree Brewery had previously focused on exporting non-alcoholic beverages such as juices, mineral water and fruit-flavoured malts. With the new licence, the company is now expanding its global footprint by tapping into existing distribution networks abroad.

Founded in the 1860s by British entrepreneurs Edward Dyer and Edward Whymper in the hill station of Murree, the brewery was originally set up to supply beer to British troops. It was later acquired by a Parsi family prior to the partition of India in 1947. The company is currently headed by Isphanyar Bhandara, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly.

Alcohol was banned in Pakistan in 1977 under then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, restricting sales to non-Muslims and foreign nationals through licensed outlets. The ban significantly impacted Murree Brewery’s domestic operations.

In recent years, however, the company has diversified its revenue streams, with non-alcoholic products contributing significantly. It reported earnings of around USD 100 million in the last financial year.

With export permission now in place, the brewery aims to strengthen its international presence through partnerships and joint ventures, gradually scaling up production for overseas markets, company officials said.