PESHAWAR: Appreciating the performance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday announced to extend its work to 11 other districts as well as the newly-merged seven tribal districts of the province.
“The authority has done a marvellous job in a short span of time,” the chief minister said during his visit to its head office in Peshawar. He announced that a modern food laboratory will be established in the provincial capital.
He visited different sections of the head office where founding Director General Riaz Khan Mahsud briefed him about the authority’s operations and achievements.
Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan, KP government spokesman Ajmal Wazir, Additional Chief Secretary Shahzad Bangash and Secretary Health Dr Farooq Jamil were also present on the occasion.
“Though I didn’t know much about the KP Food Authority, I am really impressed after visiting its head office and knowing about its excellent work,” the chief minister remarked during his brief speech.
Besides the authority’s staff, members of the business community, particularly hoteliers, also attended the event. Mahmood Khan approved the authority’s extension to 11 other districts and also to the seven tribal districts.
“I assure you of my full support as you people are really doing a jihad to ensure provision of safe food to the people. And the credit for this goes to Riaz Mahsud,” the chief minister noted.
He said most people were previously unaware of the food they were being served in restaurants and hotels.
He directed the authority’s staff to create awareness among traders and business community about rules and regulations and then undertake punitive measures as per law.
He urged traders and members of the business community to support the government in providing safe food to the people.
As the government has imposed a ban on recruitment, the chief minister reportedly agreed to exempt the Food Authority from the ban so it can hire staff for other districts.
The authority had already arranged funds from its resources and made arrangements for advertisement of vacant positions.
The process would take three months to complete. The traders’ representatives assured the chief minister of their cooperation in implementing the authority’s law and asked him to allow Riaz Mahsud to continue serving the authority in future as well.
The traders proposed to the chief minister that they should be made answerable to one government institution. They said they preferred to work under the KP Food Authority.
Mahmood Khan agreed with them and said he would stop other government departments including Food Department, town administration, etc, from handling them in future.
Earlier, Riaz Mahsud in his briefing said initially they had faced some resistance in their work. He appreciated the positive role of traders in bringing a change in the thinking of their community.
