Awami National Party (ANP) leader Aimal Wali alleged that dog, donkey, and frog meat is being sold in various areas of the country, raising serious concerns about food safety.
Speaking during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security, Wali claimed that substandard and harmful products, including plastic rice and adulterated milk, are widely available in the market, endangering public health.
He revealed that milk production in the country accounts for only 22 percent of the national consumption, while the remaining 78 percent is chemically adulterated white liquid.
“The milk consumed in the country is mostly synthetic and laced with hazardous chemicals,” he added.
Concerns raised over food quality
Senator Dinesh Kumar echoed the concerns, pointing out the absence of mechanisms to ensure the quality of rice consumed by the population. “There is no system to verify whether the rice people are eating is safe,” he said, emphasizing the urgent need for regulatory reforms.
In response to these alarming revelations, the committee formed a sub-committee to develop policies addressing the country’s food security issues and ensuring strict checks on food quality standards.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time such claims have been made. In 2018, then Interior Minister Shehryar Afridi had disclosed that donkey, dog, and even pork meat was being sold in parts of Islamabad. The lack of stringent monitoring and enforcement of food safety regulations has allowed such practices to persist, experts say.
