Punjab Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) has found the sealing of Lahore rooftop restaurant ‘The Monal’ by then director of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Ayesha Mumtaz to be illegal.
Describing the raid that lead to the sealing of the restaurant as “unlawful,” the CMIT report made available to Pakistan Today recommended an inquiry into the actions of ex-director Ayesha Mumtaz, going so far as to say that her actions amounted to “harassment.”
Ayesha Mumtaz had shot to fame when she came into the public eye for her no-nonsense policy on health standards in restaurants and food production. She had personally inspected a number of high-end eateries that were subsequently shut down on probation, fined and held liable for stricter safety and health standards. However, she was sent on forced leave by the Punjab government in late October last year after she tried to shut down a factory producing sub-par milk products, which was owned by reportedly influential people.
The report, which had been filed by the CMIT in April 2016, was finally made available now on the instructions of Lahore High Court Judge Ayesha Malik. This may also be an indication into what other factors could be behind Ayesha Mumtaz’s removal from her position in October.
The report says: “We must not forget the work done by the director and other officials, but justice demands that departmental enquiry and proceedings against the director operations and the team may be initiated.”
The report goes on to say that while there were definitely irregularities noticed by the PFA team on the spot, these were not such that the restaurant needed to be shut; rather there was a need for improvement notices to be given. “The irregularities mentioned are not enough to warrant the immediate sealing of the restaurant when read with the relevant Act and regulations,” read the report’s summary.
It is also interesting to note that the CMIT’s went on to elaborate that none of the standard operating procedures were followed during the raid. The CMIT claims that the inspection team entered Monal at an unsuitable time, and that the team consisted of many unqualified members, including drivers, along with the director Ayesha Mumtaz.
As written in the report, “From the evidence that we have, it is obvious that this inspection was done during working hours, and that the team entering was comprised not just of the director and officers but also the driver and some others.”
While Ayesha Mumtaz is definitely in hot waters because of this, it was also particularly critical of television channel ATV’s Mohsin Bhatti, who the PFA collaborates with—who later joined the raid in yet another procedural irregularity. It said that while the PFA was allowed to bring media teams along for collaborations, Mr Bhatt clearly joined in later against convention. Before this, in 2015, a court had specifically warned the PFA against keeping such relations with the media.
The CMIT went on the exonerate the restaurant in question, also advising that the enquiries be carried out as procedure demanded, as well as saying the PFA needed to regularise and set their standard operating procedures.
BS finding by the committee to save one of the influential person’s resturant and frame the honest resturant.
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