ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Tuesday summoned the chief commissioner Islamabad regarding reports of adulterated milk and the meat of dead animals being sold in the capital city.

According to an official statement issued by the committee, Senator Rehman Malik summoned Chief Commissioner Zulfiqar Haider after taking notice of a news item saying adulterated milk and the meat of dead animals is sold in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The commissioner was asked for a briefing over the issue. He denied the news and said the capital administration takes action against those found involved in such activities. The statement quotes Senator Malik as saying that it is one of the government’s foremost responsibilities to provide pure and quality food to the people.

The Islamabad administration has no formal authority to monitor food quality, Senate committee told

Senator Malik directed for stern action to be taken against those involved in the sale of adulterated milk and the meat of dead animals. According to the statement, the chief commissioner told the committee that there was no formal food authority under the Islamabad administration to check on the standard of food being sold.

The committee chairman advised that the Food Act of 1960 had yet to be implemented in the capital and called for the amendment of the act and its implementation, saying that the committee will extend full support in this regard. He said that till the food act is implemented, the Islamabad chief commissioner and the administration will have to keep a check on the quality of food, particularly the entry points if the meat of dead animals is not being supplied from within the city.

The sale of the meat of dead animals has been reported in the capital at least five times during the last couple of years at Shams Colony, Dhoke Maliar, Jhungi Syedan, Golra and Khana Dak. In 2016, a slaughterhouse in the Noon Village was raided which lead to the recovery of 2,000 kilograms of the meat of dead animals which was also kept in unhygienic conditions.

According to officials of the district administration, such meat is brought into the city from across Punjab including Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin and Jhang. They said the meat is sold to various shops and restaurants in the twin cities.

They said there is no check and safeguards so that such meat is not brought into the capital and that the capital administration acts on complaints or when they come across it by chance.

They said special teams of the administration are working under the food directorate or the assistant commissioner to keep an eye on the sale of adulterated milk and the meat of dead animals but their main focus is restaurants, hotels and bakeries. Occasionally, they also shift their focus to shops in rural areas.

The chief commissioner of Islamabad was not available for comment despite repeated attempts while Deputy Director Food Capital Administration Chaudhry Afzal said the authorities routinely conduct surveys of the markets and collect samples to ensure food quality. About 30 or 50 shop owners are apprehended every month from the capital city for selling substandard edibles.

He said that teams of the food department are also deployed on the motorway and Rawat to check edibles including milk and meat.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2018