CJP asks nation not to drink mineral water

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday urged the nation not to drink mineral water as these companies had dried up the country without paying for using underground water.

A two-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard a suo motu case pertaining to the alleged exploitation of water resources by mineral water companies operating in the country.

During the course of proceedings, the CJP remarked, "Stop using water of those who have made our land barren as the level of underground water had reached 400 feet in Lahore due to such companies.”

He said that companies had taken billions of gallons of water but did not even pay hundreds or thousands for it. While pointing out Lahore and Sheikhupura, he said that both cities had dried up due to mineral water companies. The CJP said most mineral water companies were selling sub-standard water in the country.

Meanwhile, Aitzaz Ahsan, counsel for a mineral water company, pleaded that money was spent on extracting underground water, purifying and marketing it. Justice Nisar said let us shut down your turbine and asked the company to give tap water, adding that companies had dried up our taps. The chief justice urged the nation to drink tap water after boiling it; he added that if these companies want to continue operations, they should pay Rs1 per litre to the government. Ahsan said, “We can give up to Re0.5/litre.” To this, Justice Nisar remarked, “You buy water for Rs1 and sell it for Rs52.”