Residents of the adjoining houses revealed that the ice cream factory was established in this house some four months back. They said they didn’t know who owned this ice cream unit. Police said Ghulam Haider, the arrested employee, will give details in this regard. They said the owner of this business has employed local youths who came early morning and took ice cream filled red tricycles. All these youths are hired on sale basis and commission is paid to them on the total sale.
Residents claimed the owner is operating 12 to 14 tricycles, which the youth took to nearby areas and residential colonies and private housing societies. These tricycles played similar music of famous brands to attract children. Some tricycles also have stickers of famous brands to deceive customers.
Local residents said there are many other similar units working in this area. A resident Shahid said a kulfi manufacturing unit is operating in the next street. He said similar ice cream manufacturing units are also operating in other streets of this locality and no one had ever checked them. When asked about raids of the PFA on these units in past, the residents said they had never seen any PFA official visiting the area or heard that any raid is conducted. They said this was the first raid of its kind in this locality. Residents said PFA should take immediate cleanup operation in this area to save citizens who are eating these ice creams.
Ali Abbas, TMO Nishtar Town, said strict action will be taken against the culprits and multiple cases will be issued against the house owner as well as against those who are running this dirty business. Later, team of DO Environment sealed the premises besides taking samples of the ice creams to check their quality.
The operation ended at around 6:00 pm but no official of PFA’s operation wing reached the spot. Food Safety Officer Nishtar Town Yasir Arafat was also called and texted repeatedly but he didn’t attend or reply back.