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KARACHI, Sept 21: The Sindh government on Friday suspended three excise inspectors following the deaths of more than 30 people after consuming toxic liquor, as police sources confirmed the existence of some 50 illegal outlets where bootleg liquor is sold in the city.
An official said Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani also formed a three-member committee headed by Director Excise Amir Jamil to determine the reasons behind such negligence.
“The committee will report within a week,” he added. “The minister has strictly ordered to keep all licensed liquor shops closed during Ramazan under the Prohibition of Liquor Act.”
The provincial ministry’s action came amid the assessment from senior officials that the illegal trade was thriving under the patronage of area police.
They said the local production of liquor was limited to a few places, but its supply was available in almost every part of the city, which made it accessible to everyone.
Supply and demand
“We believe the production units are not more than 10 or 15 in the whole city,” a senior police official told Dawn on the condition of anonymity. “But its demand -- and therefore supply – is high and one can get it even in the posh areas like Defence and KDA Scheme No 1. There is no exact number available to pinpoint such places but I think it would be close to 50.”
He said each town of the city had certain points which were known as outlets of local liquor sales. However, he said, the number varied off and on depending on the action of the area police, but the poisonous liquor remained available throughout the year.
He said the business of illegal outlets selling local liquor witnessed a boom in Ramazan compared to other months of the year when licensed liquor shops remained closed.
“Most of the illegal production units are located in areas populated by the minorities,” added the official. “But obviously it is accessible to everyone regardless of religion and class. So far we have gathered information about Essa Nagri, Landhi, Mahmoodabad, Korangi, Ibrahim Hyderi, Malir, Lyari, Neelam Colony, Chandio Colony and several other places across the city,” he said.
Though the police high-ups suspended the SHOs of three different areas, some officials believed more serious efforts were needed to curb the illegal business, which has expanded to a great extent in recent years.
Friends in high places
Another senior official, sharing his experience, said an illegal liquor outlet was operating in one of the areas he was serving in, but it was not raided as the operators wielded considerable influence with the police and the authorities.
“Every police station knows about the illegal activities going on in its jurisdiction,” he added. “Bribery is an issue but it is not the only problem preventing officers from moving against such outlets. In some cases there is also influence from a higher level, which protects the interests of this business.”
The deaths from poisonous liquor consumption is the second such incident in a year, as in 2006 some half-a-dozen people lost their lives in Clifton after consuming illicit booze.
Cheaper in price, locally-made liquor attracts people from the lower middle class, who cannot afford branded alcohol. However, sometimes unskilled manufacturers fail to meet the required standards of production.
“The toxic liquor comprises methyl alcohol, which is poisonous for the human body,” said Professor Ghulam Ali, the head of the department of forensic medicine at the Sindh Medical College.
“Generally consumed liquor is made up of ethyl alcohol, which doesn’t produce the kinds of acids in the human body which cause death. Methyl alcohol is very dangerous for humans and most of the time it doesn’t allow much time to offer first aid.”
He said methyl alcohol could also cause blindness if it was consumed gradually, while overdosing could cause death in seconds.
“For first aid, one can have a glass of glucose, which can offer some relief. But most importantly the consumption of ethyl alcohol or proper wine proves effective to counter the poisonous effects of toxic liquor or methyl alcohol,” he said.
