KOHAT, Oct 18: Fake cold drinks, spices and other items have flooded the local markets on the occasion of Eidul Azha and their sale is continuing without any check by the food department and administration.

The prices of quality goods and spurious items were the same. This dirty business continues the whole year without any break, but during Eid days trucks full of fake soft drinks are sold in the name of national and international brands due to their high demand.

Because of growing complaints the shopkeepers now bother to ask the customers whether theywant No. 1 or No. 2 quality drink or other item such as soap and shampoo. However, there is no check from the food department to discourage sale of substandard food, beverages and other daily-use items.

A retailer told Dawn that they knew about fake and original drinks, but they could not charge the buyers less because they would know what was going on in the drinks business.

Secondly, they earn a big margin of Rs200 for selling a pack of six bottles of one a half litres each. The price of original brand of the same quantity drink is Rs330 for national brand andRs450 for international brand.

A buyer Farrukh told Dawn that he bought a pack of six bottles of international brand soft drink during Eid holidays from a wholesale dealer. He said that the drink converted into a stinking jelly when he placed the bottles in refrigerator.

Similarly, a popular brand of cigarettes was available at Rs100 per 10 packs against its original price of Rs900 at the agency. Sources said that most of the factories of fake items were operating in basements of houses in posh KDA Town and in Afghan refugee camps.