The Lahore High Court (LHC) here Tuesday directed Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to seal 17 bottled drinking water manufacturing companies working without valid licenses. The court issued these directions while hearing a petition against supply of adulterated bottled drinking water by private companies.
The court directed assistant director PSQCA, Punjab region Abdul Ghaffar Khan Niazi to immediately restrain these companies from manufacturing, storage and selling bottled drinking water. Earlier the court was informed that these 17 companies did not possess valid licenses and had not applied for renewal of their expired licenses.
The court, however, allowed one month time to those companies who applied for licenses and their applications were pending with PSQCA. During this period they shall be entitled for manufacturing, storage and selling of bottled water, the court held in its order. Further proceedings on the petition were adjourned till March 5. On previous date of hearing the judge had issued show cause notices to 28 bottled and mineral water manufacturing companies in Punjab region who had not got their licenses renewed for the last two years.
Petition was filed by Watan Party Pakistan through its president Barrister Zafarullah Khan submitting that bottled drinking water manufacturing companies were supplying adulterated, contaminated, stale and mostly filtered tap water. Petitioner prayed to the court that all bottled water should be tested from reliable laboratories before supplying for human consumption.