LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Tuesday sought replies from the federal and provincial governments on appeals challenging the raids being conducted at the sugar mills to enforce the price of the commodity.

The millers in the appeals contended that the federal government had no power to fix the prices of the commodities. Moreover, they said, the impugned price had been fixed without affording an ample opportunity of hearing. The millers’ lawyers also argued that the district government had no legal jurisdiction to raid the godowns of the sugar mills. They said the deputy commissioners in the province had been conducting raids and forcibly lifting the sugar stock in sheer violation of the law.

They said the court had previously restrained the government from taking coercive measures against the mills to enforce the price.

After hearing the arguments, the bench headed by Justice Shahid Karim directed the respondents to submit replies within a week.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2021