LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority has decided to take up with the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) and other legal forums Saturday’s incident of physical assault on its assistant director by some lawyers at Aiwan-i-Adl.

Mr Jahanzeb, the PFA’s assistant director (Standardization and Accreditation) was thrashed allegedly by lawyer Arslan Ali and some of his accomplices when he visited a sessions court to attend the hearing of a case against a food production unit sealed in 2015. The PFA administration had also got a case registered against the lawyer and others with the respective police station for torturing the official.

“Since we have already lodged an FIR against the lawyer and his accomplices, we have decided to take up the matter with the LBA and other legal forums in a bid to take stern action against the accused,” PFA Director General Noorul Amin Mengal told Dawn.

According to PFA Director (Operations) Ms Rafia Haider, Mr Jahanzeb in the capacity as the food safety officer had inspected a food production unit in 2015 and lawyer Arslan had threatened him with dire consequences at that time.

When Jahanzeb reached the District Courts on Saturday, Arslan, abetted by his six colleagues, attacked him with kicks, punches and plastic pipes. They allegedly dragged the officer on road from District Courts to Aiwan-i-Adl. The accused allegedly abducted the officer, snatched his belongings and illegally detained him in a room.

Under a threat to kill him, the accused got blank papers signed from the officer. Upon finding an opportunity, the officer escaped and contacted 15 for help.

LBA Secretary Farhan Musatafa Jafri expressed ignorance about the incident but promised to look into it.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2017