Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Saturday, set ablaze 700,000 packets of banned tobacco items worth of Rs 20 million during a gutka discarding ceremony held at Punjab Agriculture & Meat Company (PAMCO) office near Shahpur Kaanjra Mandi.

All seized material was discarded in the presence of PFA Director General Noorul Amin Mengal. Gutka was confiscated from across Punjab during different raids.

Speaking on the occasion, DG Noorul Amin Mengal said that the hazardous guttka sale is strictly banned under the ongoing campaign against it which is titled Gutka Free Punjab Mission, whereas “we are moving towards success every passing day”.

He said that the menace of gutka is one of the most harmful threats to the society. He further said that gutka is health-fatal for humans and causes mouth, neck and stomach cancers.

The DG told that PFA has discarded more than 2.5 million sachets of gutka in the last one and a half year. He said that PFA was dealing strictly with violators who are involved into selling of gutka and spreading diseases among people.

Sharing the details on operation against gutka sellers, he said that PFA only seals the food premises and discards a gutka during the first raid at any site, while on the second time, the case will be filed against the accused where he/she will be directly sent to jail.

Published in Daily Times, May 13^th 2018.