LAHORE  -  Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has called for reports from all provincial governments on non-payment of taxes by companies manufacturing mineral/treated water using groundwater.

Hearing multiple public interest matters here yesterday, the court observed that mineral/bottled water manufacturing companies had been taking out thousands of gallon ground water through tube wells every day but they were paying nothing to the government despite the fact they were earning billions of rupees.

The Chief Justice remarked they wanted to know as to how many tax these companies had been paying when they were pumping out groundwater worth billions of rupees without paying a penny to the national exchequer.

The chief justice directed chief secretaries of all the provinces to submit reports within ten days about the tax being paid by the mineral/bottled water manufacturing companies.

He also directed the Punjab Food Authority to file a separate report about quality of the bottled water being sold by the companies.