MARDAN: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has seized 12,800 kilogrammes of adulterated food items in Mardan district during the last three months.

Kamran Khan, the deputy director of the authority, told journalists here on Wednesday that most of the seized food items were counterfeited cold drinks of multinational brands, juices and ice-cream.

He said that from April to June 2023, a fine of Rs1.56 million was collected along with Rs1.714 million collected under licence registration. “Most of the fines were imposed on traders for violating food standard,” he added.

The official said with the help of mobile laboratory, different food items could be tested on the spot within a few minutes to let the traders see by themselves the quality of food items sold by them.

He said that the mobile laboratory had sophisticated equipment and could be ranked among the best labs in the world. Quality of different food items like milk, water, oil and ghee, beverages, ice cream, meat and fish, spices, black tea, salt, flour, raw sugar and honey could be tested through the mobile lab.

The official said that during the last three months six factories producing fake beverages and adulterated gur units were sealed.

CONTRACT: A contractor has demanded of the authorities to take stern action against the dean of Bcha Khan Medical College Mardan and a member of Board of Governors of Mardan Medical Complex over alleged anomalies in awarding a contract.

The contractor, Saeed Khan, told a press conference here on Thursday that contract of a canteen was awarded by the dean of Bacha Medical College and the member of BoG to their blue-eyed person despite his high rates in the tender.

He demanded action against both the officials.

KILLED: A woman was shot dead allegedly by her husband over some domestic dispute inside his home near New Bus Station here on Thursday.

Officials of Saddar police station said that the woman was shot dead by her husband over some domestic issues. They said that the man managed to escape.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2023