Mineral water case: SC rejects Punjab, Balochistan reports

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday summoned chief secretaries of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan besides summoning secretary irrigation in a matter pertaining to companies selling mineral water.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard the case. Punjab Advocate General Ahmed Awais, while submitting a report, told the court that in connection with determining the price for water, the province has been distributed in three parts. He said that areas with scarcity of water, the companies will be required to pay 75 paisa per litre while in areas having no scarcity of water, the companies will be charged 15 paisa per litre of water.

The chief justice, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the mode of prices saying Nestle while acquiring six acres of land in Sheikhupura, sold out water worth billions of rupees. Punjab advocate general said that he told the chief secretary that the report is not acceptable and sought some time from the court.

The chief justice observed that companies, selling water have accepted the government price but it is not acceptable to the court saying that companies are getting water worth billions of rupees while the government has fixed such low prices for them. The chief justice said that no one from the government side turned up to the recent symposium held on water saying the world is weeping for us on the issue of water

The court then directed conducting forensic audit and submitting weekly report besides summoning Chief Secretaries of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan as well as Secretary Irrigation and adjourned the hearing for indefinite period.