Five die after drinking toxic liquor in Pakistan

At least five persons died and seven more were hospitalised after drinking toxic spurious liquor during Eid celebrations in Pakistan's Sindh province.
Police said condition of two of those hospitalised was critical. The deaths occurred last night in Larkana city, the hometown of the Bhutto family and a stronghold of the Pakistan People's Party that rules Sindh.
Several Muslims, a Christian and one Hindu were among the dead.
Toxic home-brewed liquor claims many lives, especially during festival holidays, in Pakistan as the poor cannot afford expensive alcohol sold by bootleggers.
Although alcohol consumption is banned in Pakistan, non- Muslim minorities can obtain liquor from government controlled shops. Most of the alcohol available for minorities is sold in the black market at a premium.

Last month, police arrested a man at Faisalabad in Punjab who was accused of selling poisonous liquor that killed 21 people. In July, 21 people died over a two-day period and over a hundred were hospitalised after they consumed toxic liquor in Warispura, Barkatpura and Christian Town in Lahore.
In August last year, 10 people died after drinking poisonous liquor in Mehmoodabad area in Karachi.