MURREE: A Punjab Food Authority (PFA) team, headed by Director-General Food Authority Noorul Amin Mengal, was attacked and held hostage near Murree, Geo News reported on Saturday evening. The team was ultimately rescued by the police.
The PFA team was attacked after raiding a five-star hotel in Bhurban near Murree, the hotel staff first threatened the team and then held them hostage after beating them. The PFA team had imposed a fine of Rs0.5 million on the five-star hotel, which is owned by the former provincial minister and MPA Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, for selling substandard meat and eggs. On December 2, 2016, a restaurant's employee in Murree reportedly manhandled Punjab Food Authority staffers who were trying to seal and issue notices to different eateries for lack of cleanliness and sale of unhygienic food.
After discovering cockroaches, filthy floors, dirty clothes of kitchen staff and other unhygienic elements inside, the authority had sealed two restaurants. The staff also proceeded to issue notices to three other restaurants for unhygienic conditions.