ISLAMABAD – A major Punjab Food Authority crackdown at Sukheki Interchange on M-2 Motorway landed several well-known food chains in trouble, with four outlets, including Hardee’s, sealed over serious hygiene violations. Authorities imposed Rs35 million in fines and destroyed more than 40 kilograms of substandard and prohibited food during the operation.
The enforcement operation targeted Hardee’s and other top restaurants operating at busy motorway stop in Hafizabad. During the inspection, officials confiscated and destroyed more than one maund (around 40 kilograms) of substandard, prohibited and poor-quality food items that were declared unfit for consumption.
برانڈز کے نام پر عوام کو گند کھلانے کا مکروہ دھندا فاش! ❌🍔
سکھیکی موٹروے ریسٹ ایریا پر عالمی شہرت یافتہ برانڈ Hardee's کی آؤٹ لیٹ پر پنجاب فوڈ اتھارٹی کی جانب سے بڑی کارروائی، آؤٹ لیٹ کو موقع پر سیل کر دیا گیا۔
صوبائی وزیر @SalmaButtPMLN صاحبہ کا بے حد شکریہ جو ان نام نہاد… pic.twitter.com/4CwIeOEU6X— Ch Hamza Khalid (@Hamza_sgd) August 6, 2026
Salma Butt said the authority’s province-wide campaign against food adulteration, unsafe food and fraudulent practices will continue without interruption. She stressed that inspection teams are maintaining strict oversight from food production and storage to distribution and sale.
She added that, under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Punjab Food Authority is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against food safety violations and will take strict action against businesses found compromising public health. The authority vowed that expired, adulterated or substandard food products would not be allowed to enter the market under any circumstances.
The large-scale operation was carried out under the supervision of Punjab Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Food Safety Salma Butt and Punjab Food Authority Director General Raja Mansoor Ahmed.
Officials uncovered widespread violations of food safety regulations at the outlets. Four restaurants were immediately sealed after authorities found conditions that posed potential risks to public health.
Inspection teams reported filthy freezers, unhygienic washing areas, stagnant foul-smelling water and poor sanitation arrangements inside several kitchens. Officials also found heavy insect infestations, while food ingredients were being stored directly on the floor instead of approved storage shelves.
Authorities further revealed that several outlets failed to produce mandatory supply and return records required under food safety laws. Bakery products without manufacturing or expiry dates were also discovered, while open drains and persistent foul odours inside the premises highlighted serious lapses in hygiene standards.
The substandard and prohibited food ingredients recovered during the operation were destroyed on the spot to prevent them from reaching consumers.
