MANSEHRA: The Halal Food Authority seized a large quantity of counterfeit bottles of branded beverages and arrested two men here on Wednesday.

A team of the authority led by deputy director Mohammad Arshad Abbasi intercepted a mini-truck in Garhi Habibullah area, seized bottles, held the driver, and raided a warehouse to recover fake beverages and arrest Mohammad Osama.

Meanwhile, three labourers fell unconscious for inhaling a poisonous gas during the cleaning of a sewage manhole in Shinkiari area.

The residents shifted them to a nearby hospital, where they recovered after being given emergency care.

Meanwhile, chicken and banana prices reached record high here on Wednesday. The chicken was sold for Rs305 per kg and banana for Rs200 per dozen.

Poultry shop owner Mohammad Azam said the chicken price should have plunged due to the closure of hotels and wedding halls but surprisingly, it had reached record high.

He insisted that chicken was smuggled to Afghanistan causing a surge in its price.

Resident Mohammad Jamshad said chicken shops in the city and its suburbs had recorded low sales due to record high price.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2021