The Supreme Court on Sunday ordered a probe into determining the quality of water being provided by mineral water companies, as well as, a forensic audit of one of the leading bottled water firms.
The directives were issued by the apex court while hearing a suo motu case at its Lahore Registry pertaining to mineral water companies allegedly refusing to pay taxes, Express News reported.
The SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, also called for a forensic audit of a leading private mineral water company within 15 days.
Aitzaz Ahsan, the company’s lawyer, asked the court to carry out the audit once the firm provides its own report first.
The court, however, rejected Ahsan’s request.
Dam opponents are traitors: CJP During today’s proceedings, other companies also requested the court to give them one month’s time before the audit is carried out, which the court refused.
According to the top court, financial audit of these companies would ascertain how much money thy owe to the people of Pakistan.
“The mineral water companies have been earning for the past 20 years [without paying taxes],” Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked.
Chief Justice Saqib Nisar said that the time had come to pay back to the nation.
“A sense of accountability has started to prevail among people.