Lahore High Court defers hearing on sugar mills plea till 14th

Court stays FIA order to summon the sugar mills’ officials

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday deferred till September 14 hearing of a petition filed by a sugar mill – owned by PTI leader Jahangir Tareen – against a notice issued by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) probing into a sugar crisis in the light of an inquiry commission’s report.

LHC judge Sajid Mehmood Sethi heard the petition that nominated the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), FIA Director General Wajid Zia, the Ministry of Interior and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar as respondents.

The court further stayed the FIA order to summon the sugar mills’ officials and ordered both the parties to present their arguments at the next hearing on September 14. The court has already ordered the respondents to submit their replies to the court.

The petition said the federal cabinet ordered authorities to start a crackdown against sugar mills in the light of the report of the sugar inquiry commission that was formed in March. It argued that the federal cabinet is not empowered to declare some culprit.

The petition claimed that Mirza Shahzad Akbar later illegally ordered the SECP and the FIA to probe against their sugar mill. “The notice issued by the FIA to summon the sugar mills record is illegal,” it said.

The same bench also deferred till September 14 the hearing on another petition against freezing of Al-Arabia Sugar Mills – owned by Nawaz Sharif family. It also stopped authorities to take action against the mills officials.