Toxic liquor kills 11 in Muzaffargarh

Locals claim the number of deaths is more than what has come to light

MUZAFFARGARH:

At least 11 people died in Alipur tehsil after taking spurious liquor while five others were undergoing treatment, police said.

However, the people of the area claimed that the number of deaths was more than what had come to light. One estimate claimed the number of deaths and those who fell ill to be around 25.

People claimed that apart from those whose deaths had been made public, there were others who also died of spurious liquor, but their relatives were allegedly keeping their deaths secret because they did not want to sully their reputation.

The police were facing difficulties in collecting the exact number of the people who died from taking spurious liquor.

Police shifted the 11 bodies to a hospital for postmortem, but their heirs forcefully aborted the process and took their relatives’ bodies with them.

One of the victims had given a statement to the police just before his death, identifying the person from whom he had bought the toxic liquor.

Some locals, while talking to The Express Tribune, alleged that the local police personnel took bribes from the alcohol sellers, and that some famous liquor sellers of the area had set up several liquor kilns.

People vented their anger over the incident and leveled serious allegations against the police. One of them alleged that those who sold liquor were so well connected that whenever police planned action to be taken against them, they received information about the operation beforehand. Some of the relatives of the deceased have also demanded stern action against those police personnel who allegedly patronise the toxic liquor sellers.

Meanwhile the RPO, Muhammad Saleem, had sought a report from the DPO of Muzaffargarh, Ahmed Nawaz, within 24 hours.

Moreover, the DPO of Muzaffargarh had suspended the SHOs of Alipur Police and Saddar Police Stations, Jehanzaib Laghari and Sajjad Hayder respectively, on account of not taking action against sellers of spurious alcohol.

The DPO also formed an inquiry committee headed by the SP of Investigations. However, no liquor seller has been arrested yet.

This very incident reminds one of December 2016 when the celebrations of Christmas had turned into mourning in the Mubarakabad area of Toba Tek Singh where at least 21 members of the Christian community died after consuming toxic liquor served during a party.

“Residents in Mubarakabad Basti brewed liquor on Christmas Eve and consumed it. The liquor, which turned out to be toxic, killed 21 people and seriously affected 50 others,” local police official Muhammad Nadeem had told the media. “Those killed by toxic liquor included 19 Christians and two Muslims,” Nadeem added.

According to some reports, a total of 50 people were attending the party in which revelers drank moonshine after cutting a X-mas cake. Soon after consuming the liquor, the people started vomiting and were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital where Younus Masih, Sajid Saleem Masih, Tony Masih, Samuel Masih, Yaqoob Masih, Asif Masih and Ameen Masih were pronounced dead.

Some people – in serious condition – were shifted to the Allied Hospital Faisalabad where Tanweer Nanah Masih and Duki Masih also died.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2022.