Will not allow sale of chemical as milk, observes chief justice

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed on Thursday that they will not let people be fooled and allow the sale of chemical as milk.

The chief justice made the remarks while hearing the suo motu case of harmful effects of packaged milk at the Supreme Court's Lahore registry. 

During the hearing, the chief justice observed that it should be written boldly on milk packs that "this is not milk".

The chief justice sent notices to companies selling powdered milk and sought their response. The court also summoned details of companies selling chemical as milk or powdered milk. 

"We will tell PEMRA to run an awareness campaign regarding milk....I am also a victim of this [unsafe milk]," he observed during the hearing.

Appearing in court, Punjab Food Authority Director General Noorul Amin Mengal said an awareness campaign is being carried out by the authority. He added that the sale of powdered milk has been banned across the province, adding that special 'milk safety' teams are being formed that will check the quality of milk samples on a daily basis.

"Children are hooked on powdered milk, but this is not milk," the chief justice stated. 

The court also observed that complaints of hormonal changes among children from chicken are common. "Our bodies are being affected by the use of injections and steroids on chickens," he remarked. 

The court then summoned the record of notices sent to companies selling such injections.

The chief justice also held that the purpose of the court is not to close down someone’s business, stating that the court will not allow legitimate and safe milk sellers to be maligned. 

Chief Justice Nisar also observed that pakoras and halwa puri are made from used cooking oil. He said used ghee is like diesel, which is extremely dangerous for one’s health. The chief justice stated that the court will not let big food companies sell used cooking oil. 

Meanwhile, during the hearing of the suo motu case of provision of safe drinking water, the Punjab chief secretary accepted before the court that polluted material from hospitals and residential localities is being added in streams.