SC seeks complete reports on quality of milk, water

LAHORE

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Punjab Food Authority (PFA) to submit comprehensive reports on quality of packaged/loose milk and drinking water available in the market.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing a petition against sale of substandard milk and drinking water. PFA Director General Noorul Ameen Mengal along with representatives of Agriculture University of Faisalabad, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) appeared before the court.

The PCSIR official submitted a sealed report about examination of samples taken from milk and water companies. He said samples of nine out of 11 packaged milk companies had been found to be substandard. While, samples of six mineral water manufacturing companies had been declared substandard, he added. Mr Mengal told the court that actions were being taken against manufacturers of unhygienic milk and water.   Justice Saqib Nisar observed that the court would not allow anyone to play with the lives of the citizens. The judge directed the PFA to submit reports on water and milk samples within a month. The bench would resume hearing on December 27.

Barrister Zafarullah Khan had filed the petition. He stated that not only loose milk but the packaged milk being consumed by citizens was also adulterated with chemicals, including detergent power, which were not fit for human consumption. He submitted that the use of contaminated and substandard milk had been leading citizens suffer from serious diseases, including Cancer and Hepatitis-C. He stated there was not a single laboratory in Pakistan that had the capability to gauge contamination of chemicals in milk and water. Barrister Khan said the citizens were being fed poison by the use of steroid injection for boosting milk production of buffaloes and quick growth of broiler chicken. He prayed to the court to ban use of contaminated, adulterated milk and water, sale of quick growth poultry as well as sale of injections being used for buffaloes for milking.

Sindh governor: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Thursday sought arguments on a petition challenging appointment of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Saeed uz Zaman Siddiqui as Sindh governor.

The chief justice directed the petitioner Barrister Javed Iqbal Jafree to assist as to how his petition against appointment of Sindh governor was maintainable before LHC. Petitioner submitted that Saeed uz Zaman Siddiqui was not qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly and as such could not be appointed governor. He also said that Article 207 of the constitution did not allow a judge to assume the office of the governor under Article 101. He also submitted that the governor was 79-year old and the constitution did not accept any appointed person in the service of Pakistan in that age group. He requested the court to set aside the federal government's notification for appointment of Saeed uz Zaman as Sindh governor. He also requested the court to direct the federal government to appoint a new governor in accordance with Article 103 of the constitution.

summoned: An accountability court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of a reference by January 7, filed against former MD Pepco, former chief engineer National Transmission and Distribution Company and others on the charges of causing loss of billions to the national exchequer.

The court has summoned the accused persons for next hearing.

As per case details, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the reference against former MD Pepco Rasool Khan Mashod, former chief engineer Designs and Services, National Transmission and Distribution Company (NTDC) and others on the charges of causing loss of Rs6.75 billion to the national exchequer. From 2010 to 2014, the accused persons with the connivance of others authorised different Pakistan Power Distribution Companies (DISCOS) to purchase transformers from different companies at exuberant rates.