The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday gave time to the Sindh IGP and provincial authorities to file detailed reports on action taken against brewers manufacturing and selling illegal toxic alcohol that caused over 30 deaths on the Eid-ul-Azha.
A two-judge bench was hearing a petition filed by Rana Faizul Hassan, a civil rights campaigner and secretary general of an NGO – United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan – seeking action against relevant authorities over their failure to put curb on manufacturing and sale of illegal toxic alcohol in the province.
The petitioner submitted that over 30 people were killed after consuming toxic liquor in different parts of the city on the eve of Eid. Only after deaths, police and relevant authorities swing into action against manufactures and sale of toxic liquor and seized around 20,000 litters of the toxic liquor, he added.
Had the police and authorities concerned taken action on right time, such tragedy could have been averted, the petitioner said. Quoting a report published in newspapers, he said, despite government’s tall claims, this illegal manufacturing and sale of the toxic liquor was 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.
The petitioner said that authorities concerned did not take action against elements involved in manufacturing and sale of the toxic liquor and that was why people were killed after consuming toxic liquor on the festive occasions like Eid.
