Crackdown launched on substandard snacks in Shangla
By Our Correspondent
2025-02-02
SHANGLA: Shangla deputy commissioner Mohammad Fawad Khan has ordered a crackdown on suppliers and vendors of substandard snacks, chips and other food items.The action comes after the reported deaths of three children, who allegedly consumed snacks produced locally.
As part of this crackdown, the administration has already cancelled the NOCs of snacks` suppliers.Mr Fawad told Dawn that after the rising public concerns and recent deaths of three children, he had launched a special drive against the sellers and suppliers of snacks.
`While the district administration does not have the legal authority to ban food products with valid licences, we prioritise public well-being and monitor these products closely. If we suspect that a snack is substandard, we may impose a ban. In fact, we`ve launched a public awareness campaign `check expiry date, protect your fate` to promote consumer safety,` he said.
The deputy commissioner said they had connscated and destroyed hundreds of expired items, documenting the process through videos to raise public awareness during the ongoing campaign. `However, it`s equally important for consumers to develop the habit of checking the expiry date before purchasing any product, including food, cosmetics, and other essen-tials.
He said he had also imposed a ban under Section 144 on the sale and supply of the locally-produced snacks and expired items.
Mr Fawad said the current NOCs making rounds on social media were issued by the former deputy commissioner, and he had cancelled them.
HOUSE GUTTED: A house was gutted after it caught fire in the Shaw area of Bisham tehsil on Saturday morning.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Rasool Khan Sharif said that a team was dispatched to the area, which was inaccessible as there was no road. He said the firefighters with the help of locals made efforts to put out the blaze, but not before the house was gutted.
The rescue service spokesman said the cause of fire could not be immediately ascertained. He said all the goods in the seven-room house were reduced to ashes.
