Centre, province to file report on price raise

LHC issued notices, seeks detailed report from Federal, Punjab govt on a petition against increase in sugar prices.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday issued notices and sought a detailed report from the Federal and Punjab government till November 22 on a petition against increase in sugar prices.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed said that the sugar mafia had created an artificial shortage of sugar by hoarding it and selling it at inflated rates.

He said, “If the sugar crisis is a result of hoarding by the dealers then it is the government’s job to keep a check on them. The government should take needful legal action under the anti-hoarding laws against those involved.”

He said that the court may pass directions for inspection of the bank accounts of the sugar dealers and traders to determine whether they had drawn money from their accounts to buy and hoard sugar.

The court remarked that the sugar crisis had reached its high point due to the ‘government’s inefficiency’.

Pleading his case, petitioner-counsel Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique submitted that the unprecedented and unchecked surge in the sugar price had been caused by influential politicians enjoying the support of the government officials, unscrupulous traders, profiteers and hoarders.

The counsel requested the court to seek a report from the respondent in this regard till Monday, November 15. The court, however, stating that it might be ‘hard’ for the government to reply in such a short period, gave the government time till Nov 22.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2010.