Man sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, Rs1mn fine for supplying dead chicken to hotels in Punjab

BAHAWALNAGAR: A man has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for selling meat of dead and diseased chickens to fast food restaurants in Bahawalnagar, Punjab.

Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Zia Khan announced the verdict, imposing a fine of Rs1 million on the convict, Shahzad Faisal.

According to a spokesperson for the Punjab Food Authority (PFA), the court ruled that Faisal had been supplying meat from dead chickens to various fast food outlets in the city. The spokesperson added that if the fine is not paid, the convict will serve an additional 14 months in prison.

The PFA reiterated its commitment to taking strict action against those involved in the sale of unhygienic or unsafe meat products across the province.

Earlier, on October 17, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Rawalpindi seized and destroyed 500 kilograms of dead and diseased chickens during operations against unhygienic poultry suppliers in various parts of the city.

Acting on a tip-off, a PFA team intercepted a vehicle in Bagh Sardaran carrying 400 kilograms of dead chickens, which were immediately disposed of on the spot. The driver was unable to produce any legal documentation for the poultry.

In another raid at a chicken shop in Choa Saidan, the PFA confiscated 100 kilograms of substandard meat and imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on the shop owner for storing stale chicken. One suspect was arrested, and a case was registered against the vehicle owner at the police station.

The PFA spokesperson stated that the timely operation prevented contaminated meat from reaching consumers and safeguarded public health. He urged citizens to report any violations related to unhygienic poultry to the PFA Helpline 1223.