The case of two minor boys dying after consuming expired meat caught everyone by surprise
KARACHI: The case of two minor boys in Karachi dying after consuming expired meat at an eatery in the metropolis last year caught everyone by surprise. It opened a debate on the importance of a food control authority and the importance of regular checks at restaurants. However, in a recent development, it has been mentioned that the parents of the two boys have told the court that they had forgiven those responsible and didn’t want to further pursue the case.
While it is prerogative of the parents to choose to forgive, it is important for the state to hold the restaurant accountable. As doing so, would set a precedent and other similar eateries will think twice before serving expired meat. The state should act as a complainant in the case.
More importantly, this case should make the provincial food authority spring into action and conduct timely checks at eateries across the city, not just those in posh localities. Karachi is a city of over 20 million people with a countless number of eateries and it is the provincial government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of the people.
Mehnaz Akhter
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2019.
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