Chief Justice Pakistan proceedings with clean water case came down hard on director general food authority Noorul Amin Mengal after he disclosed that 1,148 companies are involved in the business of bottled water and most of them were unregistered. "How could they function for years with impunity, the CJP remarked. The Chief Justice expressing concern over the performance of Mengal, added how a company could be allowed to do business without securing license.
Mengal was unable to give satisfactory replies to the queries of the court. The CJP remarked that these companies were selling water injurious to human consumption and direct the chief secretary to shut down the business of unregistered companies. Mengal however, informed the court that water samples of 107 companies were taken and 86 of them had failed to meet the required standard. Resultantly, such 86 companies had been closed down in compliance with court's order.
CJP regretted that people are purchasing bottled water under the impression that it is clean of all impurities, but poison is being supplied to them in the name of bottled water. CJP asked chief secretary to remove Mengal if he is failed to show performance.
The court directed the chief secretary to submit a comprehensive report after securing samples of 1148 companies as well as bring them under license regime. The bench also hearing related to the deplorable conditions of government hospitals directed the provincial health administration to present a thorough report on problems at government hospitals.
"I want to improve the conditions of government hospitals in Punjab, especially those that I have had the opportunity to visit. Emergency facilities at every hospital should be world class," Chief Justice remarked. The officials of public hospitals submitted a report on the current conditions of the hospitals. Chief Justice emphasised on the need to improve the healthcare system in Lahore and directed for best facilities for the patients.
The chief justice also warned that he would visit The Children's Hospital to assess its condition himself. When he asked if the hospitals had taken any measures to improve the condition of public hospitals, a representative from the Services Hospital said that the administration had increased the bed capacity from 400 to 614.
Noting that public hospitals lack resources, the chief justice required a report on the shortcomings being faced in public hospitals on next hearing on February 24. The CJ also proceeded with a suo motu case regarding sale of contaminated chicken in Lahore constituted a committee to test the sample for presence of harmful chemicals in meet at various places in Punjab.
Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar ordered to collect samples of chicken meat from different sale points in Punjab in order to check the meat quality and to detect various harmful chemicals in the meat. The CJP noticed that chicken meat was causing hormonal imbalance in human body. The bench was told by an expert that chicken feed is causing hormonal changes in body and added if chicken feed is made by natural ingredients then it would not be harmful for health of people.
Chief Justice proceeding with another suo motu notice pertaining to closure of roads in various parts of the provincial capital and rejected the report submitted by Inspector General of Police, Punjab. The CJP addressing the IGP said "We can't allow confinement of citizens in the name of security, tomorrow your CM has to appear and the roads will also be opened."
Furnishing report on closure of roads, the IGP told the bench that roads were closed due to security threat on the basis of intelligence reports. However, he said the residents of the closed areas were allowed the entry.