LAHORE: A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a report from the Punjab livestock secretary about sale of adulterated milk and steroid injections meant for boosting milk production in buffaloes.

The bench headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing a petition filed by Watan Party leader Barrister Zafarullah Khan.

The petitioner-lawyer stated in the petition that citizens had been consuming adulterated milk and water and the authorities concerned were paying no heed to the matter. He said not only loose milk, but packaged one was also adulterated with chemicals not fit for human consumption.

He said the use of contaminated and substandard milk had been causing serious diseases, including hepatitis C, among citizens.

He also said there was not a single laboratory in Pakistan capable of gauging contamination of milk and water with chemicals.

The petitioner also pointed out that steroid injections were being openly sold in the market to boost milk production in buffaloes and fasten growth of broiler chicken.

The court adjourned hearing till Sept 8 and also sought a report about legislation on the issues raised by the petitioner.

PLEA DISPOSED OF: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday disposed of a petition of four retired professors after finance department undertook to refund deduction made in the double pension of the petitioners.

Abdul Rauf Khan and others had filed petitions through Advocate Safdar Shaheen contending that the Punjab government last year started deducting benefit of increased pension implemented in 2013.

The lawyer argued that the benefit once granted by the government could not be taken back in any case as per judgments of the Supreme Court. He asked the court to order refund of the deducted amount.

A government’s law officer presented a notification before the court and said the amount recovered from the petitioners would be reimbursed.

The court disposed of the petition after the petitioners’ lawyer said the grievance stood addressed.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2016