Donkey meat was seized on Sunday in Islamabad’s Tarnol area by the Islamabad Food Authority, according to a press release by the authority.

“On the tip of the AFSO [assistant food safety officer] team, a cafe was raided, and 25 maunds of donkey meat were recovered,” the statement said.

A case has been registered against a foreign national present at the scene, according to the police.

The case was registered under Sections 11 (Selling food against the law), 12 (Substandard or misbranded food), 13 (Unsafe food) and 14 (Unhygienic or unsanitary place for food) of the Islamabad Capital Territory Food Safety Act, 2021.

As per the first information report (FIR), 1,000 kilogrammes of donkey meat was found at the scene.

“Investigations are underway regarding the supply of donkey meat,” a police spokesperson said in the statement.

Local people involved in the supply of donkey meat are being traced.

“The police are investigating the matter from various angles,” the spokesperson added.

He added that food samples were being sent to the laboratory for analysis.

Items kept in the refrigerator were found to be defective and unusable, the spokesperson added.

“The administration has formed a committee for further investigation,” the statement concluded.

A three-member committee will investigate in which areas the meat was distributed, the police said.

In March, Chowk Sarwar Shaheed Patrolling Police recovered 20 maunds of dead animal meat from a van at Muzaffargarh’s Riazabad Chowk.