PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety Authority (FSA) on Friday impounded a vehicle carrying 2,000 packs of substandard cold drinks on the Indus Highway in Kohat.

Speaking to mediapersons, deputy director operations Kamran Khan Yousafzia said the vehicle was transporting the low quality cold drinks to Kohat from Peshawar when it was intercepted by the FSA team on the Indus Highway, according to a press release.

He added that the operation against fake and substandard cold drinks had been in full swing in Kohat since late March, in which nearly 40,000 such drinks were seized along with three vehicles, which were later returned. He said two distribution points were also sealed in these operations.

Lakki filling stations fined for overcharging

Mr Yousafzai said in another operation in Shakardara, a remote area of Kohat, two outlets were sealed over presence of harmful ingredients. He said a total of 58 outlets were inspected by FSA team in Shakardara, and a bakery and a grocery shop were sealed for using non-food colours and selling China salt.

In Lakki Marwat, managers of several filling stations were fined for inflated price and tampering with gauge during surprise raids by assistant commissioner Eid Nawaz Sherani on Friday.

The inspection visits were arranged on the directives of deputy commissioner Jehangir Azam Wazir, who had received complaints about high price and low gauge provision of oil products.

Mr Sherani inspected filling stations along the Indus Highway between Ghaznikhel and Darra Pezu.

He checked the per litre gauge at fuel stations and prices of oil products. The assistant commissioner imposed fine on managers of several petrol pumps.

He said pump managers would face action if they were found involved in the practice in future.In Landi Kotal, the local administration seized thousands of unhygienic water bottles from a warehouse in Landi Kotal Bazaar during a raid.

Assistant commissioner Mohammad Imran confiscated the unhygienic water bottles and arrested two shopkeepers.

He said the raid was conducted on public complaints. He said no one would be spared for either violating the official price list during Ramazan or selling unhygienic edibles and drinks.

He said the administration had arrested at least 40 shopkeepers for profiteering since the start of Ramazan.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2019