Eight die after consuming spurious liquor in Pak

At least eight people died while four others were hospitalised in Tando Muhammad Khan near Hyderabad in Pakistan, after they consumed toxic liquor, police said.
The victims were yesterday brought to the Civil Hospital in Hyderabad where eight of them, including two women, died, a senior police official said.
Four other persons who were hospitalised are still in critical condition, the police official said.
Most of those killed are from the minority Hindu community, said senior police official in Hyderabad Munir Ahmed and added the people responsible for the sale of the toxic liquor have been arrested.
"They consumed the liquor in Tando Muhammad Khan to celebrate the festival of Holi which is this week. They had brought the cheap moonshine from a local dealer," Ahmed said.

The police officer said three of the deceased belonged to one family. Those killed were identified as Bharo, Kangi, Shabnum, Mano, Moti Thakur, Papu Thakur, Hero Thakur and Allah Dino Mallah.

Relatives of the dead later blocked the Hyderabad and Badin highway road to protest the failure of the police to stop the sale of toxic liquor, he said.
The latest incident is a reminiscent of a similar tragedy that took place in Hyderabad and Karachi in late 2014 during Eid ul Azha celebrations when 29 people had died after consuming toxic moonshine.
Alcohol consumption is banned in Pakistan for Muslims but non-Muslims are allowed a ration of liquor which is sold at special wine shops run by the provincial excise departments under government control.

Last year in December also four people had died in Karachi after consuming toxic liquor.