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Thursday, March 28, 2024

PM Khan orders crackdown against sugar mafia

Officials informed PM Khan that an adequate quantity of the commodity is available in the market. However, the country faced a shortage due to the hoarders. Therefore, PM Khan vows to take strict action against the hoarders and sugar mafia.

Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered strict action against the sugar mafia in Pakistan. He announced the crackdown in order to lower the prices of the commodity which recently faced a surge.

The decision came during a meeting related to price control to address price inflation of essential food items. Senior government officials briefed the Prime Minister over the current stock of sugar and its prices.

Officials informed PM Khan that an adequate quantity of the commodity is available in the market. However, the closure of Sindh’s sugar mills increased the prices.

Last week, the sugar price shot through the roof as the wholesale rate touched Rs 150 per kilogram in most parts of the country. The retail rates reached Rs 160 per kilogram.

Taking note of the high prices, PM Khan revealed that the prices increased due to the closure of three sugar mills in Sindh. As a result of the closure, supply faced a shortage. This led to Punjab hoarding sugar.

Read more: How sugar mafia can be tackled

In this regard, Monday, PM Khan decided to implement strict legal action against hoarding and profiteering. He directed to implement at all costs the Sugar Factories (Control) Amendment Act 2021, Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Act 2020, and Punjab Registration of Godowns Act 2014 against sugar mafia and hoarders.

Moreover, he also gave orders to bring the entire sugar stock for sale in the market and start sugarcane crushing across the country from the 15th of this month.

PTI govt. lashes out at Sindh government for sugar crisis

Earlier, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill heavily criticized the Sindh government. He said that the sugar crisis had been created just for political point-scoring and harming the interests of the country and the people of Sindh.

He also said that after the passage of the 18th Amendment, the management of commodities was a provincial subject but the matter was being politicized to pressurize the federal government.

Read more: PM Khan blames Sindh for hike in sugar prices?

Moreover, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab on Information and Special Initiatives Hassan Khawar also lambasted the Sindh government.