A sort of gambling called Parchi Jua has been gripping south Punjab for the last one decade and has ruined a sizeable number of lower and middle class people who want to become millionaire through shortcut.

Chaand Taara is a living tale of woes of Parchi gamble in the streets of Dera Ghazi Khan. Just a year ago, he was a strong and steely person; now he seems an addict with a frail body.

Mr Taara fell prey to Parchi gambling two years ago and lost his business, savings and a house.

Seeing his addiction to gambling, his wife has moved court for separation. Despite losing everything, Mr Tara is committed to the business and is not convinced to condemn the Parchi. He says someday he will win a lottery and get 10 times whatever he has lost.

Mr Tara is not the only hopeful of hitting the jackpot but a big lot from rural and urban areas are dreaming so.

According to Dawn investigation, 80 dealers of Parchi gamble, allegedly being patronised by the people from Lahore and Faisalabad, are running gabling dens in Dera Ghazi Khan. Besides them, some individuals also run their gambling dens.

In the business, a Parchi with seven numbers is sold and Rs100 is charged. In the draw of State Bank’s prize bond which is held every fortnight, if the first prize winning number is exactly matched with one’s Parchi number, he or she gets Rs7million from the dealer. If just first digit matches with one’s Parchi’s number, he gets Rs700. A parchi holder gets Rs7,000 if the first two digits are matched, Rs70,000 if the first three digits are matched and Rs700,000 if the first four digits are similar to that of first prize winner of the State Bank’s prize bond.

The gambling is also held every hour as some cable operators announce numbers of Parchi. Gamblers follow the same rules of prize bond Parchi in the TV lottery.

Those trading Parchi said police fleeced money from them either in the form of regular extortion or by raiding their shops.

Viewing the growing Parchi mania, some self-proclaimed spiritual pundits and fortune tellers are also making the most of the situation. Many periodicals are being published (mostly having religious names) predicting the expected winner numbers.

State Bank Multan chief manager Akbar Ali said it was the duty of law enforcement agencies to curb Parchi gambling.

Dera Ghazi Khan Assistant Superintendent of Police Gohar Mushtaq said Parchi gambling could not be done without the consent of people. He said a few police officials might be involved in the crime but they were trying to discourage the practice. He said in the last three months, 26 cases were registered and 95 people arrested while Rs160,090 were confiscated.

Member of The National Assembly Khawaja Sheeraz criticised the gambling and demanded a proper legislation for it. MNA Meena Leghari said the poor man was being robbed through this practice. She stressed the need to raise awareness among the public about the outfall of hazardous parchi gambling.