The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered the Punjab Cane Commissioner to enforce the ex-mill price of sugar at Rs80 to meet the 155,000 tonnes demand during the upcoming Holy month of Ramazan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

The court said in its written order that this interim order regarding the fixed price of sugar will be subject to the final verdict of the court.

Federal government’s Deputy Attorney General Asad Ali Bajwa appeared before the court. The federal government and Punjab government officials maintained that the government has determined the price of sugar on the documents submitted by the sugar mills from 2016 to 2018.

According to the 1977 Act sugar is one of the essentials in the basic and important commodities and the government has the power to set the price of sugar. 

“So far, the government has not prepared rules for setting the prices,” the judge remarked hearing the arguments on Wednesday. 

The judge remarked that there should be no shortage of sugar during the fasting month. 

The court has allowed the government to buy sugar from the mills at Rs80 to meet the demand in the upcoming month of Ramazan. 

The court verdict reads, “The price of sugar was fixed by the government under the Price Control Act, 1958, and the Prohibited Profits Act, 1977 while no pricing rules have been set yet.”

Reportedly, the court gave two opportunities to the mills and the government to resolve the matter amicably but both sides did not reach any agreement.   

Tandlianwala Sugar Mills and others had challenged the government’s decision to fix the ex-mill price for sugar at Rs80.

Mirza Shehzad Akbar also tweeted: “Big relief from LHC, wherein it has ordered for the supply of sugar at Rs80 ex-mill as determined by the federal and provincial governments during Ramazan.”

He also tweeted that it was the first victory of PM Imran Khan’s government in protecting the ordinary people against profiteers.

The case has been adjourned till May 21. 

Reporter Malik Ashraf