LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday informed the Lahore High Court that delayed import of sugar by the federal government had caused shortage of sugar in the province and its sale on high price.
In a reply filed before the court of Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed with regard to a petition against hoarding and unbridled prices of sugar, the provincial government maintained that the prime minister had frequently been requested since Sept 2009 to direct the authorities concerned to accelerate the process of importing sugar in order to avoid its possible shortage.
The reply said that the country was facing scarcity of 1.1 million metric ton sugar out of which 0.75 million metric ton was required for the Punjab province alone.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif through a letter on Sept 3, 2009 had informed the prime minister about possible sugar crisis in the country and requested the premier to maintain the sugar stock up to 1.4 million metric ton at least, the reply added.
It further said that on Sept 11, 2009 another letter was written to the prime minister, emphasising again on early import of sugar but the federation failed to do the needful.
However, in the month of Ramazan, 50,000 metric ton sugar was given to Punjab, out of which 35,000 metric ton was sold in Ramazan Bazaars while the remaining was sold in open market at Rs63 per kg, the provincial government added.
It said that 36, 000 metric ton sugar was given to Punjab by Karachi when sugar crisis hit the province in Sept/Oct 2010 and Rs72 per kg was fixed for its sale in markets.
On the directions of the Punjab government, 32 sugar mills had started crushing of sugarcane since Nov 27 while the remaining sugar mills would start crushing from Nov 30, the reply said adding that supply of sugar at Rs65 per kg by the Trading Corporation of Pakistan helped reduce sugar prices.
The Punjab government further said that it had amended the laws relating to sugar in April 2009 to end the shortage of sugar and to ensure its sale on normal prices. The court adjourned the hearing for next week to enable the petitioner to file the rejoinder.
A citizen, Ahmad Imran Ghazi, filed the petition through his counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique, who requested that the prime minister and the chief minister be summoned for violating basic human rights and they be directed to explain their failure to provide sugar and other essentials to the masses on reasonable prices.
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