Toxic liquor kills 23 in Karachi
Fourteen other patients described to be in critical condition were receiving treatment at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Hospital (JPMC). Confirming.
Dr Seemi Jamali of JPMC said that the deceased belonged to Landhi, Korangi, Bilal Colony, Zaman Town and Shah Faisal Town areas of Karachi.
“It is premature to say whether anybody lost his eye sight or not as they are unconscious and under treatment,” Jamali told The Express Tribune.
According to police officials, the vendors of the toxic liquor have been arrested during raid in various parts of the city.
Last week, over 20 people died in Hyderabad due to the consumption of toxic liquor. Around 150 sellers and buyers of the hazardous substance were arrested.
Following the deaths, on October 5, the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government stripped Mukesh Kumar Chawla of the Excise and Taxation portfolio over what the party’s senior leadership termed the minister’s ‘negligence’ in issuing licenses to substandard wine shops in Hyderabad.
“The investigations had established that he [Chawla] started issuing the liquor permits, without even directing the officials under his ministry to visit the shops and carry out regular inspections,” a senior PPP leader and chief minister’s aide told The Express Tribune, while requesting anonymity.
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Lets first start by lifting the ban on youtube before we get to liquor. Although i am all for that too.
The same Pakistani people who can out drink seasoned sailors in a contest, when in the West, go to a restaurant and ask if the Chicken or Beef is Halal?
Alcohol (ethanol) major ingredient in liquors does not kill. In fact in moderation it is good for heart and diabetic health. The illegally and not properly made liquors contain methanol in addition to ethanol due to faulty processes. It is this methanol (another alcohol) that attacks central nervous system and causes blindness and deaths. Even the morning hangovers are caused by the poisonous methanol not ethanol. If liquors were made easy and cheap to get, there would be no adulteration, illegal manufacture and no deaths. People who want to drink would and do drink and nobody can stop them. It is up to us and our govt to make it legal, highly taxed (like Malaysia) and away from smugglers, criminals and corrupt officials.
This is all because double standard adopted in selling or allowing alcohol . The best solution is to legalize and controlled sell of Alcohol and make sure to monitor it and make people accountable. Legal sell of Alcohol is the only proper way. Banning alcohol never works. In fact when you try to shutdown alcohol availability all this illegal people will thrive.
@Mohammad: "....The elite class and politicians got easy access to premium liquor while poor people die like this."
The elite have always lived a very privileged life, however hard you try to restrict it, they are going to do that in future too.
I thought Islam and the laws of Islamic Republic of Pakistan prohibits use of alcohol.
most of the gulf states and far east (Malaysia/Indonesia) serve liquor without any restrictions...no one question if you are Muslim or non Muslim. If Allah's fear can't stop you consuming liquor, no one can.
I am not sure who banned it..Bhutto or Zia, but liquor has been served in South Asia for 100s of years, till it was banned by Government.
Make it legal and earn money like everyone does. Almost all Muslim airlines serve liquor except PIA and Saudi Air, most of our Pakistani brother take several short on Emirates & Etihad before landing in Pakistan.
The elite class and politicians got easy access to premium liquor while poor people die like this.