‘No to alcohol’ banners crop up in shell-shocked Toba Tek Singh neighbourhood

Sobs and wails continue to dominate in area mourning loss of 44 loved ones

FAISALABAD: An air of gloom dominates the atmosphere of Toba Tek Singh as locals are yet to recover from the death of 44 people caused by poisonous liquor. The predominantly Christian population, which enjoys celebrating occasions with a drink, has been so scarred that signs with “say no to alcohol” have started cropping up.

In an area rife with poverty, there is little for these people to take their minds off the tragic incident which affected practically every second household. By and large, residents are engaged in menial labour jobs or provide sanitation services and their paltry income forces them to live in houses devoid of most basic amenities.



When news of the death of their loved ones reached affected families on Mubarakabad Mohalla, the women were unable to control their emotions and wept uncontrollably while cursing the sellers of the toxic liquor. The residents usually consume locally made brew after a hard day’s work. Ironically, most of them possess permits to purchase good quality liquor, but they prefer to sell it to Muslims and make a quick buck. On special occasions, the consumption of locally made alcohol sees an exponential increase.

On that fateful day, Christmas celebrations turned on their heads as people started losing consciousness after drinking the toxic liquor. They were immediately rushed to a private medical facility, but later rushed to the district headquarters where they breathed their last one by one.

The question dominating the minds of locals is that if these celebrations have continued for decades without incident, how did it this incident occur?  The wine has been confiscated by Chutiana police station which is about 25 kilometres from Toba Tek Singh City. It was purchased by a Christian employee of the same police station and sold to Sajjad Masih, a sanitary worker of the district police lines.

Sajjad, a resident of Mubarakabad Mohalla, allegedly mixed aftershave lotion and water in large quantities and this turned the liquor into a highly poisonous concoction.

Meanwhile, families are still battling to come to terms with the devastating loss of loved ones as sobs and wails echo through the locality. This Christmas, people lost sons, fathers, brothers and husbands.

Nasir Masih, who lost his relative George Masih, tells the media that drug traffickers have been selling liquor in their areas for a long time. He adds that police are not ready to take action against the narcotics dealers.

Ilyas, a disabled resident of Mubarakabad Mohalla, lost two of his brothers and now foresees a bleak future for himself. He recalls all three brothers used to live in a rented house and no one is left behind to look after their seven children. Meanwhile, the daughters of Shahbaz are also grief stricken as they loved their father a great deal. At least 23 people are still undergoing treatment.

The tragic incident has exposed the poor governance of the area and the unchecked manufacture and sale of substandard liquor throughout Punjab. The fact that the police are unable to wrap their heads around the situation is a major concern.

It has also emerged that there are inadequate treatment facilities at the District Headquarter Hospital, Toba Tek Singh. Many of those who survived have been permanently affected as some have lost their eyesight, while others are suffering with damaged kidneys or stomachs. Meanwhile, the Toba Tek Singh City Police Station has added Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code to the already registered case. Also, Section 322 has been changed into 322(A).



The police have identified five suspects after initial investigation and arrested them. The accused were produced before an anti-terrorism court and Judge Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool granted their 10-day physical remand.

Those arrested include two brothers Muhammad Shahid, a former Toba Municipal Committee vice chairman, and Muhammad Qasim. Their domestic help Muhammad Ashfaq, Chutiana police station sweeper Sawan Masih and Adeel Mani Masih were also arrested for supplying aftershave lotion in liquor bottles to the Mohalla Mubarakabad Christian community.

The affected families held at least three demonstrations and demanded suitable compensation, but the government is yet to make any sort of announcement.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2017.