Taking suo moto notice of the use of poor quality meat and the sale of substandard "chapli kabab" in Peshawar and across the province, Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan summoned officials of several departments and directed them to explain why they had failed to check "illegal practices that pose a risk to human lives".
The officials summoned by the High Court included the secretary and director general of the health department, the director food, Peshawar police chief and director general of the livestock department.
A division bench led by the Chief Justice issued a notice to the Chief Secretary to explain why secretaries and administrative officers working under him were not fulfilling their duty to monitor adulteration in food items.
The bench said it was unbelievable that reporters of a newspaper with limited resources could find out and investigate illegalities, but many government departments with budgets of billions of rupees were doing nothing to check these unlawful acts.