The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday banned packaged milk sold under four brands until further notice.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar headed the three-judge bench that made the decision while hearing a case regarding the use of illegal chemical injections on farm cows.

Sindh's authorities have subsequently been told to remove milk belonging to four brands including Day fresh, Nurpur and Day Fresh UHT from sale racks.

The ban on the four companies was put in place after the court reviewed a report on the matter compiled by Advocate Muhammad Vawda, who is assisting the court in the case.

According to the report, the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has declared milk from all four companies unfit for human consumption.

The report further pointed out that milk from three more companies had not met the standards set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority.

It was stated in the report that a total of 53 brands were tested for a quality check, out of which these four brands turned out to be below standard.

While adjourning the case till the next session of the SC's Karachi registry, Justice Nisar ordered companies producing tea whiteners to state on the packaging that their product is not a substitute for milk.

A similar case was also heard in the Lahore registry of the SC on January 8. There, too, Justice Nisar had prohibited dairy farmers from injecting hormones in cows and buffaloes to increase milk production.