RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Tuesday carried out raids in various markets in Raja Bazaar and sealed three shops for selling loose food items such as spices, pulses, oil and other edibles, sparking a protest by the traders.

Teams from the PFA inspected shops in Ganjmandi, Ansari Market, Dalgiran Bazaar, Naswari Bazaar, Sori Gali, Wheat Mandi, Ratta Road and Sooter Mandi.

They sealed three shops, including Ameen Traders and Mor (peacock) Brand Traders, owned by Anjuman-i-Tajiran Ganjmandi President Raja Jamil.

Action against the traders’ leader led to the closure of businesses and a protest demonstration on Ganjmandi Road.

The protesters burnt old tyres and chanted slogans against the PFA. This led to a gridlock on the busy road.

In Dec 2017, on the directions of the Punjab government the PFA imposed a ban on the sale of loose edible items, including pulses, spices, oil and pickle.

After the protest, Ganjmandi Police Station House Officer (SHO) Raja Ayzaz held a meeting with elected representatives of the traders. Senior officials of the PFA also attended the meeting.

Punjab Food Authority’s action against sale of loose food items will be resisted, traders’ representative says

During the meeting, the traders expressed their concerns over the raids and said they would not follow the ban on sale of loose edibles.

But the PFA gave the traders a seven days’ deadline to pack all pulses, edibles, spices and oil otherwise action would be taken against them.

Talking to the press, the trader leaders rejected the deadline saying they would not stop the sale of loose edibles.

“We deal in tons of such edibles and how it would be possible for us to pack pulses in one or half a kg packs,” said Raja Jamil.

He said the traders would hold a rally on Murree Road if the PFA took action against them.

He said the PFA failed to check food adulteration in restaurants and outlets and was creating hurdles for the traders.

When contacted, Rawalpindi Traders Association President Sharjeel Mir said they were not in favour of adulteration but against the way the PFA worked.

“Punjab generally and Rawalpindi especially is facing an administrative crisis. Inexperienced officials have been deputed to run the government organisations and departments who do not know the ground realities.”

He said officials of the district administration mostly made policies without meeting the stakeholders and getting information about the working of traders and business activities.

He said traders of Raja Bazaar had decided to launch a campaign against the provincial government, the district administration and the police as they failed to provide a conducive environment to the business community.

PFA spokesman Mohammad Qaiser Abbas told Dawn that the ban was imposed on the sale of loose spices and other items in June 2017 and the PFA had given 18 months to the traders to make arrangements to comply with the new rules but they failed to do.

He said the PFA imparted training to the traders and shopkeepers to sell their loose items in packets mentioning the expiry date as well as the name of the company so in case of adulteration action could be taken against those involved in it.

“Earlier, people involved in adulteration could not be traced as they refused to admit the claim of any customer that they had purchased the spices and other loose items from them,” he said.

The law has been implemented all over the province except Rawalpindi where traders are yet to comply with it.

“We have given the traders one more week after which action would be initiated against them as per law,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2019