Clampdown: LHC tells judges to ensure sealing of Sharifs’ mills

Says if the plants are operational, manufacturing process must be halted immediately

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court ordered sessions judges to seal three sugar mills of the Sharif family if they were still operational despite a restraining order from the Supreme Court.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, said if the mills were still operational, the manufacturing process must be halted immediately.

The bench also directed the district police to accompany sessions judges and give complete support during the inspection of these mills.

On February 9, the Supreme Court ordered the suspension of operations of these sugar mills and remanded the case to the LHC after an application by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) General Secretary Jahangir Tareen.

Appearing before the court on Tuesday on behalf of Tareen, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said the restraining order of the SC was not being followed. He said the administrations of Chaudhry Sugar Mills (Ltd), Rahim Yar Khan, Ittefaq Sugar Mills, Bahawalpur, and Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills, Muzaffargarh, were still operational, while the plants were continuing with the manufacturing process. He submitted that media had also reported the same.

The bench, in its written order, said the LHC wants to be fully satisfied that the SC order was being implemented before proceeding any further in this case.

“In order to verify the ground realities, we depute the following learned district and sessions judges to immediately verify whether the under mentioned mills are in operation,” the order stated. The bench deputed the district and sessions judges of Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Multan, directing them to ensure the SC restraining order, which was to come into effect from February 12, is being implemented.

The bench further stated that from February 20, proceedings of the case would be held on a day-to-day basis.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2017.