Court orders de-sealing of five industrial units

HARIPUR: The court of additional district and session judge on Wednesday ordered the de-sealing of five industries of Hattar Industrial Estate and issued notices to the respondents to appear on February 6.

Provincial Director Operation Halal Food Authority, Akhtar Nawaz and his local staff accompanied by Assistant Commissioner Khanpur Faraz Qureshi, sealed the five oil and ghee factories. The sealed factories included Hafeez Iqbal Oil and Ghee Industry, AK Oil & Ghee Industry, Latif Oil & Ghee Industry, Platinum Agro Oil & Ghee Industry and Gul Edible Oil Industry whose management was accused of non-compliance with food laws.

The sealing officials also disconnected the gas and electricity connections of the sealed industries.

However, on behalf of petitioners, Advocate Javed Qureshi, and his legal team raised before the court the point of disconnection of power and gas supplies to the factories without any legal justification. The counsels objected to the Halal Food Authority’s procedure of sample collection and testing. They also apprised the court about the legal flaws in the exercise of powers by a magistrate and prayed that the act of sealing of factories with stocks would inflict loss of billions of rupees to their business and prayed for de-sealing of the factories.