Residents of the federal capital have complained about the sale of unhygienic food items going unchecked in the federal capital and the suburban areas while the efforts of the concerned authorities prove insufficient to control it.
The residents complained that the owners of restaurants, Chhappar hotels and bakeries were selling food items cooked and baked in unhygienic conditions, while restaurants are serving food in filthy utensils.
They complained that hotels and restaurants were not following cleanliness and safety standards.
Muhammad Talal, a senior citizen, said that substandard food was being sold openly at various markets of the city due to lack of appropriate action against the vendors and hotel owners.
Sale of substandard fried items could also be seen at shops and roadside stalls while there was no check and balance in this regard, he added.
Another citizen Mashhood Abbasi said that the stallholders and shopkeepers were not following the rules of hygiene, and were causing abdominal diseases among the residents, especially children.
“It can also been observed that shopkeepers prepare traditional food like samosas, pakoras, halwa poori in substandard cooking oil,” he said.
Abdul Rauf, a student said that hotel owners are required to keep the kitchens and utensils clean, but certain outlets are not following the directions. Citizens have demanded that the concerned authorities should take strict action against those playing with the health of the innocent people, he added.
District Food Controller, Raja Ashraf, when contacted, told APP that they were working day and night to check the quality and price of food being provided to Islamabad’s residents and shopkeepers were being fined for selling substandard food items.
A senior official of the Capital Development Authority told APP that fines were being imposed on the restaurant owners after receiving complaints filed by the citizens.
