PFA team held hostage by hotel staff in Murree

Application against hotel staff submitted to the Murree <br /> police station

RAWALPINDI: A food inspection team had to brave the now infamous ‘hospitality’ of the Murree hill station after they allegedly scuffled with and were also detained by the staff of a local hotel and fast food chain when the former raided the kitchens of the latter over complaints of substandard food.

A team of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) had gone to inspect the kitchens of a hotel and a fast food joint located on the Mall Road in Murree.

Discovering that substandard food was being used apart from the poor state of the kitchens, the PFA team, which also included its director general Noorul Amin, proceeded to seal the hotels as per regulations.



However, the hotel staff allegedly attacked the PFA team, pushing them around and stopped the official from completing their task. The staff was also kept hostage for several hours.

Later, an application against the hotel staff was submitted to the Murree police station.

Police officials refuted that the hotel is owned by a former minister, adding that the minister owns a food outlet which was inspected by the PFA and that the outlet staff did not obstruct the officials in completing their duty.



Moreover, they said that the PFA had imposed a Rs500,000 fine on a five-star hotel in Bhurban while two food outlets were sealed in Murree for poor cleanliness.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2018.