The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday removed a ban on production and sale of three mineral water brands including Kinley, Springley and Aquafina.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, passed the orders while hearing a suo motu notice regarding drinking water facilities here at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry.

As the proceedings began, Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Director General Noor-ul-Amin Mangel appeared before the bench and submitted that the PFA teams had collected samples from 23 bottled-water companies from across Lahore and sent them to the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).

He said Kinley, Aquafina and Springley were banned for failing laboratory tests to meet food standards as the reports revealed that hazardous components and chemicals — microbiological germs were found.

However, the samples of the said companies were again sent to two different laboratories which declared the water safe for drinking.

At this, the bench removed the ban placed on production and sale of these brands in the light of the statement made by the PFA DG.

Meanwhile, the bench also allowed DG PFA to grant permission for making 61 minor water filtration plants operational, if their water quality was found satisfactory on inspection.

The authority had closed 61 filtration plants in various parts of the city after their water quality was not found satisfactory.