Stocking up on sugar

DCO orders raids on private godowns, demands arrest of hoarders.

SIALKOT: The district coordination officer (DCO) Mujahid Sher Dil has issued strict directives to police officials to raid all private godowns of dealers currently stocking up on sugar.

The directive came after police claimed to have recovered hundreds of sugar bags illegally stored in the district.

“These hoarders were creating an artificial shortage of sugar in the local markets,” the DCO said.

In Daska, district divisional officer (DDO Revenue) Daska Rao Riaz Ejaz raided several godowns of local traders Sheikh Muhammad Ayub and Muhammad Shakeel and recovered 130 illegally stored bags of sugar. Meanwhile, Daska magistrate Rashid Chaudhary also arrested eighteen shopkeepers for selling sugar at inflated rates in Daska city and its outskirts. Daska police have registered separate cases against the accused. He also fined them Rs38,000 collectively.

In Sialkot, the DDO (Revenue) Abdul Sattar raided the godown of local trader Aslam near Naikapura Pull on Pasrur Road and recovered 120 bags of sugar. He also caught three shopkeepers Akram, Muhammad Nazir and Nazir Ahmed for selling sugar at inflated rates. Civil Line police have registered separate cases against the accused and has also imposed a fine of Rs14,000 collectively to five other accused shopkeepers Arshad, Iftikhar, Ashfaq, Bilal and Sajid for selling sugar at inflated rates.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2010.