The Islamabad Food Authority (IFA) has announced that large retail marts in the federal capital will soon be required to offer cashless payment options. Authorities decided that any mart sealed over violations will not be allowed to reopen unless digital payment facilities are in place.
The move, finalized in a performance review meeting chaired by IFA Director Irfan Memon, reflects the government’s broader push toward digital transactions while also tying compliance directly to food safety enforcement.
Inspections Reveal Widespread Food Safety Issues
Alongside the cashless mandate, officials reviewed IFA’s inspection activities over the past month. According to Deputy Director Operations Dr. Tahira Siddiq, the authority inspected 1,025 restaurants and food outlets across Islamabad.
The findings were concerning:
- 81 eateries were fined a combined Rs. 1.3 million for substandard food.
- 83 outlets were sealed for selling hazardous items.
- 30 citizen complaints about hygiene and food quality prompted immediate action.
Licensing activity also picked up, with 359 new permits issued to restaurants and food shops. Officials pledged to accelerate this process further in order to bring more businesses under regulatory oversight.
Unsafe Food Seized and Destroyed
The crackdown wasn’t limited to fines and closures. Enforcement teams confiscated and destroyed large quantities of unsafe consumables, including:
- 992 kilograms of unfit meat
- 262 liters of substandard drinks
- 120 liters of expired liquids
- 1,814 liters of unsafe dairy products
These measures, officials said, were aimed at cutting off potentially harmful food before it reached consumers.
IFA Vows Zero Tolerance on Violations
Director Irfan Memon stressed that the authority will not compromise on food safety standards. He instructed staff to respond swiftly to complaints, speed up licensing, and ensure strict enforcement across the city.
By linking reopening conditions to digital payments, the IFA is combining food safety regulation with a push toward financial modernization—ensuring consumers not only get safer food but also greater flexibility in how they pay.
