Authority clamps down on illegal slaughterhouses

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has launched a cracked down against illegal slaughterhouses in various areas of the cantonment.

The RCB’s Food Control Cell seized huge quantities of meat and imposed heavy fines in an action taken against butchers who routinely slaughter animals in the streets instead of taking them to slaughterhouses.

Sources said the laboratory tests of the confiscated unhygienic meat will also be conducted.

The Food Control Cell has issued an order against the growing trend of meat sold at butchers' shops in cantonment to take the animals to regular slaughterhouses without slaughtering in secret places and without medical inspection. It has been cracked down.

According to sources, the RCB has launched a crackdown against the growing trend of slaughtering animals at secret locations instead of taking them to slaughterhouses and selling the meat at local meat shops without a medical examination of the animal.

During a surprise raid on Saturday, not only the sale of meat from sick and emaciated animals in local butcher shops in different areas of the cantonment was revealed, but also the animals were being slaughtered in illegal slaughterhouses without medical inspection and meat hygiene rules.

The sources claimed that the meat was being sold without the doctor's seal certifying that the meat conformed to hygiene standards at which the meat was seized from several shops.

The staff of the Food Control Cell conducted a grand operation against illegal slaughtering in all areas of the cantonment in which a large quantity of meat was seized from different areas of the cantonment including Saddar, Allahabad, Westridge, Naseerabad, Chauhar Chowk, Misrial Road, Allama Iqbal Colony, Barfkhana Chowk and Bakra Mandi Dhok Syedan Road and heavy fines were imposed under the law.

In addition to this, the RCB staff is working daily in all areas of Cantt to ensure the implementation of the hygiene standards so that the residents can get quality food.

Food Control Cell In-charge, Haroon Zafar, said that Cantonment Executive Officer Imran Gulzar has issued instructions that the sale of unhealthy meat from sick and emaciated animals will not be allowed in the Cantt.

“Butchers will be required to take the animals to the slaughterhouse, slaughter them after inspection, and sell the meat with a doctor's seal,” he said.

He added that action will be taken according to the law regarding seized meat and illegal slaughterhouses. “The quality of the meat will be verified by the Cantt laboratory and further action will be taken according to the report,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2023.