KARACHI, Pakistan
By Aamir Latif
A home-brewed liquor poisoned 21 people in Karachi on Wednesday.
At least 23 people have died and 13 are battling for their lives at the hospital after having consumed low-quality homemade liquor in the southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday, doctors said.
Dr Seemi Jamali, head of the emergency department of Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Center, said that the victims were brought to the hospital, unconscious, from different parts of the city on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The liquor, locally known as “Kachi Sharab,” is prepared at unlicensed small breweries located in private houses, particularly in slum areas in many parts of Pakistan. The liquor becomes toxic due to the excessive use of chemicals in order to increase its potency. It is responsible for hundreds of deaths every year.
This type of liquor is available at less than half the price of original brands, and is generally consumed by those too poor to afford commercial brands.
Liquor is officially banned in the Muslim majority, however it is allowed for non-Muslims.
A bill banning the consumption of alcoholic beverages is currently being debated in the Pakistani parliament.
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