Poisonous liquor death toll rises to 34

The death toll in poisonous liquor case has reportedly risen to 34 as another two persons died in Nishtar Hospital here on early Monday morning.
Conditions of another four persons in Nishtar Hospital and three in the district headquarter hospital, Muzaffargarh, were critical, hospital sources said.
"We are trying our best to save the lives of the drunkards, however, two of them - Mudassar Hussain of Khangarh and Haji Riaz Ahmed of Multan - died on Monday morning, said Nishtar Hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Imran Rafiq.
He said the toxic liquor had badly hit kidneys and eyesight of those who consumed the liquor.
According to details, seven persons - Ghulam Murtaza (Chowk Shaheedan of Multan), Mukhtar Ahmed (Gujrat), Khalid Qureshi (Thatta), Ghulam Sarwar, Muhammad Akhtar and Irfan (Chak Mithan) died on Sunday, while another 25 lost their lives by Saturday midnight.
Multan District Police Officer (DPO) Hamid Mukhtar Gondal said: "We are unable to confirm the number of casualties because some of them died at private clinics or at home. However, we are collecting information through respective police stations about the ill-fated persons. We have information about 16 people who died in Multan," he added.
Gondal said: " We have arrested four liquor suppliers, including a distiller Nazar Hussain alias Najja Langra, and his accomplices under the Anti-Terrorism Act and have rounded up a number of traffickers in the light of the statements of two survivors, Muhammad Aslam and Abdul Qayyum."
"During interrogation, it came to our knowledge that this liquor was supplied by one Israr Shirazi who stole 3,500 bottles of expired liquor from the store of excise department that had seized huge quantity of liquor last year," he said.
He said that a murder case was also instituted against Israr Shirazi, his son and a distiller Nazar alias Najja.
Najja told pressmen that Israr Shirazi supplied the liquor (locally manufactured and smuggled) in southern Punjab with the connivance of police and he was the main dealer of that zone.
"More than 30,000 bottles of locally manufactured liquor are being sold in southern Punjab daily with the connivance of police through a network," said an official of excise department.
"A total 16 persons - seven in Kot Adu, five in Khanrgarh, two each in Jatoi and Muzaffargarh - have so far died after taking toxic wine and we have registered a case against three dealers Bilal Mustafa, Iqbal Chandia and Muhammad Tahir.
However, no arrest was made, said Muzaffargarh DPO Ahsan Mehboob.