KARACHI, May 19: Two popular brands of beverages were being manufactured and sold without certification by the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), a federal attorney informed a division bench of the Sindh High Court on Wednesday.

Appearing on court notice in a writ petition moved by Haji Gul Ahmed, a social worker, Deputy Attorney-General Nadeem Azhar Siddiqui made a statement that beverages could not be manufactured or sold in the country unless certified by the authority under the PSQC Act, 1996, and a notification issued by the federal government in pursuance of Section 14 of the Act.

The authority has prescribed standard specifications for carbonated beverages. Certain uncertified manufacturers were involved in litigation with the authority over the amount of the prescribed fee.

The lawyers, appearing for Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola, submitted that the questions raised by the statement were outside the scope of the petition and were extraneous to its adjudication.

The petitioner has alleged that the carbonated soft drinks were injurious to the public health and were 'haram' (forbidden) by the tenets of Islam. The issues agitated by the petitioner had not been addressed. They sought time to seek instructions from their clients. The bench, which consisted of Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Amir Hani Muslim adjourned the hearing to June 2.