Sugar crisis: CJP urged to take suo motu notice
Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar on behalf of Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin Pakistan (TTAP), on Monday, wrote a letter to CJP Yahya Afridi, and urged him to refer the matter to a three-member judges' committee of the Supreme Court and treat the letter as a petition under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.
He stated that as all available redressal forums that could provide relief remain silent, seemingly due to pressure from the executive, which is why we are writing to you.
Mustafa submitted that a comprehensive and transparent investigation is imperative to uncover the full extent of policy manipulation within the sugar industry. Identify all beneficiaries of these exploitative decisions, especially those from the ruling coalition who hold significant stakes in the sugar mills, and ensure strict accountability for those who have prioritised personal gain over national interest and public welfare.
The TTAP vice chairman wrote that alarming increase in sugar price is not a mere market fluctuation but a direct consequence of deliberate policy choices. 'Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government, in a move that defies logic and public interest first approved the export of 765,000 metric tonnes of sugar between July 2024 and May 2025, despite clear warnings of impending supply shortages,' he stated.
This decision allowed a select group of sugar barons to reap immense profits. Subsequently, when local prices skyrocketed, the government paradoxically approved the import of 500,000 metric tons of sugar, further facilitating the same beneficiaries through preferential tax treatment. The cabinet waived all duties and taxes on these imports.
This tax exemption has rightly drawn the ire of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), clashing with loan conditions and exacerbating Pakistan's fiscal strain. This export-import cycle, repeated over the past 24 months, unequivocally exposes the profound influence of the sugar industry over national policy. It raises serious questions about economic stewardship and, more critically, about who truly benefits from these decisions.
He mentioned that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed on July 29th, that sugar mills have earned Rs300 billion due to recent fluctuations in the rates of this essential commodity.
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has postponed the hearing of the sugar cartel case after over 70 sugar mills requested a delay, citing the unavailability of legal counsel due to the Supreme Court's summer recess.
In 2021, the CCP imposed a Rs44 billion fine on the PSMA and its member mills for forming a cartel to fix sugar prices and engaging in other anti-competitive practices.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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