
Recurrent events such as this have links to corruption in the forces of law and order, and corrupt police play a part in the ‘facilitation’ of illegal brewing and distribution. The police also on occasion interdict illegal alcohol with 65,000 litres being found recently, according to a senior police officer. This is a considerable haul but even so is probably the tip of the iceberg as far as illegal alcohol distribution and consumption is concerned. There has been concern about ‘leakage’ from various diplomatic missions but, compared to the scale of illegal produce nationally, the amounts are tiny. The real problem lies within marginalised and poor communities. The middle classes and the wealthy can afford the unadulterated ‘real thing’ and mass poisonings in that demographic are extremely rare. Pakistan has a largely unacknowledged alcohol problem that crosses social classes. Treatment facilities are scarce and poorly regulated and in a cash-strapped health service, prioritising finance for self-inflicted wounds finds little favour. The alcohol problem, legal or illegal, is only ever going to get worse and un-invention is not an option.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2016.
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