LHC tells govt to not take motion towards Tareen’s sugar mills

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday ordered the federal government to not take any “coercive measures” towards the sugar mills owned by PTI chief Jahangir Khan Tareen, issuing a keep order until the following listening to of a plea difficult the sugar costs mounted by the federal government.

The directive was handed by Justice Rasaal Hasan Syed throughout a listening to on the LHC.

At the outset of the listening to, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the secretary of industries had mounted the ex-mill and retail worth of sugar on the charge of Rs84.50 and Rs89.50, respectively, on July 30 by a notification.

He contended that the step was unlawful and that the petitioners have been aggrieved by the fixing of sugar costs.

The counsel mentioned the LHC ordered the federal government to listen to the stance of the sugar mills earlier than fixing the costs of sugar, however the petitioners weren’t heard, and new charges have been mounted by a notification.

According to the counsel, the value mounted by the federal government was irrational, opposite to the factual place of the price of manufacturing and it was not doable to promote sugar at these charges.

The counsel moved the courtroom to nullify the notification.

At this, a regulation officer opposed the plea, saying that the sugar costs have been mounted after listening to the stance of 32 sugar mills.

He maintained that each one necessities have been fulfilled earlier than fixing the value of sugar.

Subsequently, the courtroom, after listening to the arguments, restricted the provincial authorities from taking coercive measures towards the petitioner’s mills until the following listening to.

The courtroom issued notices to the Punjab authorities and different events to the case, searching for their replies on the subsequent listening to.

It additionally ordered the sugar mills to submit sureties well worth the distinction in sugar costs, to the cane commissioner.

It additional ordered that each one an identical petitions be mounted with the principle case and that the cane commissioner keep a document of the sugar mills’ provide.

Last yr, PM Imran Khan had tasked the Federal Investigation Agency to analyze the sugar disaster that had led to a scarcity of the commodity within the nation and as a consequence of which sugar costs skyrocketed. He tasked the FIA to seek out out who benefited from the disaster.

A report by the FIA launched final yr mentioned that high PTI members have been amongst those that gained from the current sugar disaster within the nation.