Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed the provincial secretaries of health, home and excise and taxation departments to file their respective detailed and comprehensive comments over the deaths caused over Eidul Azha by the consumption of toxic alcohol.
Headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, a division bench also issued notice to Sindh advocate general and prosecutor general to respond to the petition till November 19.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Rana Faizul Hassan, a civil rights campaigner and secretary general of United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, seeking action against authorities concerned over their failure to curb the illegal manufacture and sale of toxic alcohol in the province.
The petitioner submitted that over 30 people were killed after consuming toxic liquor in different parts of the city. Only after deaths, police and relevant authorities swing into action against manufactures and sale of toxic liquor and seized around 20 thousand litters of the toxic liquor, he added.
“If the police and authorities concerned had taken timely action, such a tragedy could have been averted,” the petitioner said.
Quoting a report published in newspapers, he said that despite the government’s tall claims, the illegal manufacturing and sale of the toxic liquor is still continuing in the limits of 16 police stations and areas including Mehmoodabad, Chanesar Goth, Aaso Goth, Malir Bakra Piri, Qaidabad, Ibrahim Hydri, Pak Colony, Manghopir and other areas.
According to Articles 3,4,8,9 of the Constitution of Pakistan it is the responsibility of the government functionaries to protect the lives of the citizens, but they had displayed criminal negligence in discharging their duties, asserted the petitioner.
The petitioner said that authorities concerned did not take action against elements involved in manufacturing and sale of the toxic liquor that is why people were killed after consuming toxic liquor on festive occasions like Eid.
