Social media pictures about dog meat termed fake

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority Director General Riaz Khan Mehsud on Tuesday dismissed social media reports saying dogs were being butchered and cooked in restaurants in Kohat district.

“There is no truth to these reports that dogs are being butchered and cooked in restaurants in Kohat. Some elements trying to create doubts in minds of the people had been sharing eight months old fake pictures of dogs which were never captured in any part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Riaz Khan Mehsud told The News.

He said the fake pictures were shared on the social media and called the move a dirty campaign by the elements of vested interests to create uncertainty among the mutton loving people of KP.

“I assure the people of KP that these old pictures were circulated on social media eight months ago. Our vigilant officers along with their teams are present in most parts of the province including Kohat. They have just started their activities but are carefully supervising the situation in their areas to ensure safe and Halal food to the people,” said Riaz Mehsud.

Meanwhile, KP Food Authority continued inspections of various food outlets and educational institutions and imposed heavy fine on them for selling unhygienic food.

In Abbottabad, the KP Food Authority team led by Adeel Nauman inspected a school, Fine Hills School run by Higher Education Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and found the school selling unhygienic food in unhealthy environment.

They imposed a fine of Rs50, 000 on the school. Mushtaq Ghani later called head of KP Food Authority in Abbottabad and appreciated their work and paid the fine.

The authority also inspected Toru Restaurant and Wedding Hall in Mardan and fined Rs35, 000 for unhygienic food in unclean environment.

Different teams of the authority conducted raids in Peshawar, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and imposed heavy fine on restaurants and other food outlets for selling unhygienic food to the people.