27 die from poison alcohol in Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan - At least 27 people have died after consuming poisonous alcohol in southern Pakistan, police said Friday.
The deaths were reported late Thursday and early Friday after more than three dozen people were brought to various hospitals in Karachi, the nation's biggest city, after falling unconscious.
Their relatives told doctors that they had consumed "poisonous alcohol," said Javed Bukhari, the city's police chief. About 10 people are still being treated in hospital and are in stable condition.
Police have detained two men accused of preparing the contaminated alcohol, Bukhari said.
It is illegal for Muslims in Pakistan to drink alcohol, and there are only a handful of licensed producers catering to non-Muslims, who make up about 5 percent of the 160 million population.
In practice, however, some Muslims do drink alcohol, resorting to the black-market supplies smuggled from abroad or homemade liquor that is sometimes tainted.
In October, 12 people died after drinking contaminated liquor in the eastern city of Multan.
Drinking alcohol in Pakistan is punishable by caning and three years in jail although the law is rarely enforced.