A shortage of the commodity is observed at sale points set up by the Lahore district administration where sugar is available for Rs62 per kilogramme. In Dera Ghazi Khan, 13 sale points have been set up to facilitate consumers. The prices of the commodity are ranging from Rs120 to Rs140 per kilogramme in Rahim Yar Khan Rs115 per kilogramme in the open market in Faisalabad.
Political uproar
The National Assembly session today was adjourned after an uproar erupted in the House over the sugar price hike.
PML-N MNA Hamza Sharif, speaking to Express 24/7 correspondent Sumaira Khan, in Islamabad said that the government had been forewarned that sugar prices will skyrocket. He blamed the government for the problem saying that “just because of inactivity on the part of the government, the people are facing the problem”.
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) said yesterday that its findings show that sugar barons are fleecing consumers by making cartels at three different tiers.
While talking to the media at the Interior Ministry office in Islamabad today, the Director General (DG) of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Waseem Ahmed described the sugar crises as a “burning issue”. He said that Interior Minister Rehman Malik has finalised the inquiry on the Trading Corporation Pakistan (TCP) case, revealing that according to their findings, senior officials are involved.
“The inquiry has started and we are at the finalising state. If the sugar is not brought out in the next 24 hours, we will certainly take action against the hoarders,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government has decided to acquire 70,000 tons of sugar from the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) on an emergency basis and sell it in the market at a fixed rate of Rs61 per kilogramme. The Sindh ministry for trade and industry also cancelled the no-objection certificates (NOCs) for eight sugar mills who failed to set up units in the agreed period of time.
Punjab is also set to receive up to 100,000 tons of the commodity from TCP. Punjab Chief Minister Sharif has issued orders for direct off loading of sugar from Karachi port.
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