Decisive action: LHC deals another blow to Chaudhry Sugar Mills

Denies request to sell raw material lying on factory premises.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday turned down the request to allow sale of raw material lying at Chaudhry Sugar Mills, which is believed to be owned by the Sharif family.

The request was made through an application moved on behalf of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills administration in an already pending appeal over the factory’s relocation.

The bench has adjourned further hearing till April 24.

On March 2, the bench ordered the sealing of Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills in Muzaffargarh and Chaudhry Sugar Mills in Rahim Yar Khan. The bench was hearing intra-court appeals moved by Ittefaq Sugar Mills and the two others who said a single bench had set aside the shifting of the three factories to other districts.

The single bench made the decision in October 2016 on petitions filed on behalf of the administration of JDW Sugar Mills, belonging to PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, and others.

Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said the three sugar mills, allegedly owned by the Sharif family, completed shifting in blatant violation of stay orders issued by different courts. He pointed out that Chaudhry Sugar Mills spent Rs600 million on its relocation despite the stay.

He submitted bank documents and photographs of the mills’ shifting process in support of his argument.

Aitzaz said the relocation policy for sugar mills announced by the provincial government in 2015 was based on mala fide intentions and even environmental laws were ignored when shifting the respondent entities.

Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel had contended that under Section 3 of the Punjab Industries (Control on Establishment and Enlargement) Ordinance, there was a restriction on the establishment of an industrial undertaking without the provincial government’s permission.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2017.