NA committee warns CDA over food adulteration

Expressing displeasure over the failure of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to formulate rules against food adulteration, a sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights Monday warned CDA of severe action regulations to ensure quality food in the Islamabad region were not drawn up within a fortnight.
The committee meeting was held with Fauzia Habib as chair, to discuss issues pertaining to food adulteration in Pakistan. “Food adulteration is a crime for which a fine of Rs150 or Rs 200 is too insignificant. The fine should be harsher in order to curb this menace” said Habib.
In its last meeting the committee had directed the management of the capital to review the laws pertaining to adulteration and submit a report to the committee with suggestions of harsher punishments. The committee showed its displeasure when the officials told that nothing had been done so far in this regard. The committee also expressed concern on the fact that none of the provinces except Punjab had reviewed its age-old laws concerning food adulteration.
The committee hailed the Punjab government for the implementation of the Punjab Food Safety and Standard Act in 2010. The committee also decided to write letters to the provinces of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pukhtunkwa to urge them to make necessary amendments in their laws in order to provide quality food to the people. The committee also took notice of the negligence of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for not evolving a proper mechanism to control food adulteration in the country.
An MNA, Kishwar Zehra told Pakistan Today that the committee had recommended the provinces to involve the PSQCA in collecting food samples of items being sold in the market for laboratory tests. She added that the committee had expressed concern over the increase in hepatitis cases in the country owing to contaminated food. She also revealed that the committee had asked Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and other media organizations to launch a campaign against food contamination as this was one of the main causes behind the spread of the disease.