BAHAWALPUR/RAHIM YAR KHAN
As many as 14 persons ‘reportedly’ have died due to the consumption of poisonous liquor in different areas of Rahim Yar Khan over the past 24 hours. However, the police confirmed the death of only four persons.
According to details, two persons identified as Dilshad Ahmad and Shakoor Ahmad Chohan, residents of Badli Sharif situated in the jurisdiction of Iqbalabad Police Station, died after consuming toxic liquor the other night. Similarly in Tibba Chohan Akbarabad, a man namely Jamal Chohan and in Fazalabad, Binyameen Kamboh and Shabbir also died after drinking poisonous liquor while dozens others are in critical condition and admitted to different Rahim Yar Khan hospitals.
Meanwhile, Haseeb Shah, a former policeman, a resident of Irrigation Colony Rahim Yar Khan and Odh Colony’s Bhola and Ashraf also died due to the poisonous liquor. According to locals, all the three were consuming liquor in a house located in Esa Colony when their condition turned worst. They were taken to Sheikh Zayed Hospital but they could not survive. However, their families hushed up the matter. Moreover, more deaths are also reported in different suburban areas but the bereaved families hushed up and avoided reporting the matter to the police ‘apparently’ as a face-saving tactic. Six more persons who died on Tuesday are identified as Rasiq Araeen, Kalu, Kazim, Master Bashir, Nehaal and Saddique, taking the death toll to 14.
On the other hand, the use of drugs has become a common practice in the jurisdiction of Iqbalabad and Abadpur police and instead of taking action against the criminals, police, simply, take action in the documents to report “all is well” to the higher authorities.
Some liquor furnaces are running with the ‘active patronage’ of police officials and they receive their share from them. Residents of the area, political and social organisations have demanded DPO Sohail Zafar Chatta to take action against the drug dealers to save the younger generation.
Meanwhile, the Iqbalabad Police Station arrested main supplier Shahbaz Korai and are searching for his other accomplices.
When contacted, Rahim Yar Khan DPO Sohail Zafar Chatta claimed that only 4 deaths were occurred due to the poisonous liquor. He denied that 14 persons had died, saying that four deaths were reported to the police, two died on Tuesday while the two had died on Monday due to the consumption of poisonous liquor.
Zafar Chattha informed that three main liquor suppliers namely Shahbaz Korai, Sajid Korai and Saddique were arrested and a case under Section 302 PPC had been registered against them.