Toxic liquor claims four lives in Karachi

Deaths seem to emerge after every festival as there is no check on moonshine production

KARACHI:

Four people, including a transgender, lost their lives to poisonous moonshine in the city over the past two days, it emerged on Monday.

The patients were brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center from different parts of the city, Dr Seemin Jamali, head of the emergency department at the health facility, told The Express Tribune.



On Sunday, the first patient to be brought to the hospital with symptoms of moonshine poisoning was a transgender, who was initially identified as Chandni. However, his name was later confirmed to be Suhail Inayat, a resident of Kati Pahari. The second patient was from Landhi and identified as Tanvir Masih. The third was from Safari Park area but his identity could not be ascertained.

"They were all unconscious when brought to the hospital and suffered the same symptoms of methanol poisoning," explained Dr Jamali, adding that they [the patients] died within half an hour of their admission. They appeared to be aged in their 20s and 30s.

Precautionary measures

Since such incidents surface after nearly every festival, be it Eid, Christmas or Diwali, Dr Jamali said that she had informed the East Zone DIG, Munir Shaikh, so that he was aware of the situation gaining momentum in the city.

On Monday, however, the same incident was reported again when 36-year-old Victor was admitted to the hospital. He was from Pahar Ganj area in North Nazimabad, said Jamali. She added that no other patient suffering from the same symptoms was admitted or being treated at the hospital.



No connection

Initially, the casualties made no connection with each other in terms of relation or places, said the JMPC emergency incharge. "It is not confirmed where these people consumed the liquor. Usually what happens is that people gather at a place, drink and then leave for their homes. In this case, there seems to be no connection."

The casualty zone is divided in East and West districts as two deaths are confirmed in each. The Express Tribune tried to contact DIG Munir Shaikh and West DIG Feroz Shah, but both were not available for comments.

Déjà vu?

Nearly a year ago, around 29 people had died in Karachi and Hyderabad of the same cause: lethal moonshine. At the time, the celebrations of Eidul Azha were marred by these unfortunate incidents.

Terming the incident negligence on the part of the authorities responsible for issuing licences to wine shops, the provincial government had withdrawn the portfolio of excise and taxation from Mukesh Kumar Chawla.



The ministry was then given to Gayan Chand Asarani, who after assuming charge suspended two directors and four deputy directors of his department. In a press conference, he had announced to suspend the licences of all spirit-sellers in the province until investigations into the deaths were completed.

In Karachi, DIG Munir had directed the relevant police stations to register FIRs of the victims under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, so that the culprits who were involved in the mass deaths would be tried for qatl-e-amd [intentional and deliberate murder].

Networks of three drug kingpins in the city - Tahir Baloch of Sharafi Goth, Amjad Khan alias Surti of Landhi and Shaukat alias Ashok Kumar, who was killed by law enforcers in an encounter -  were  identified and FIRs were registered against them accordingly.

But the issue soon died down after the initial uproar and it seems the manufacturers of moonshine are still doing a roaring business in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2015.