ISLAMABAD, April 9: Sugar prices in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have again gone up by Rs6 as the commodity is being sold at Rs42 per kilograms at the retail level, shopkeepers said on Sunday. The shopkeepers said they were not exactly aware of the reasons for the new hike in the prices but apparently it was increased by the mill owners.

The price of the commodity had declined from Rs45 to Rs36 a few days ago.

“A couple of days back sugar was selling at Rs36-kg but again its rate increased both at wholesale and retail levels,” a trader, Raees Khan, at the Karachi Company market said.

He said a 50-kg bag of sugar was available at Rs2,020 to Rs2,025 at the wholesale level.

The rates of sugar are going up further despite withdrawal of an ‘inquiry’ initiated by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) into the sugar crisis in the country.

The mill owners had reportedly assured the government that they would reduce the prices provided the inquiry initiated by NAB was stopped.

Recently, NAB closed down the inquiry and hoped that the rates of the commodity would decline as assured by the mill owners. However, the prices are going up again, the shopkeepers said.

“The rates of sugar are still unstable in the market these days because they are changing everyday,” wholesaler Nisar Ahmed said.

He said there was no complaint of sugar shortage in the capital because stockists had dumped the commodity in the market.

When contacted, a senior official of the local administration on condition of anonymity said the government had not issued any directives to the administration to check sugar prices.

“However, in such situations, the responsible civic bodies are usually put on high alert to control prices by conducting surprise raids and taking legal action against the traders,” he said.

The area magistrates, he said, had been inspecting godowns and stores to check hoarding and ensure availability of sugar in the market.