Federal cabinet green-lights making sugar inquiry report public

ISLAMABAD: The special meeting of the federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, has approved to make public probe report of the sugar inquiry commission, ARY News reported, citing sources.

The cabinet gave approval after the inquiry commission presented a forensic report on the sugar scandal in the federal cabinet session.

During the meeting, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Wajid Zia briefed the members of the cabinet on the report.

Sources said the cabinet decided to public report today.

Sources told ARY News that the commission’s report will also consist of the details of the forensic audit of different sugar mills. The records will provide all details of sugar production into the mills, as well as its sale and buyers. It emerged that the report will also expose the names of unnamed buyers.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Federal Minister Asad Umar, Adviser to PM Abdul Razak Dawood and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had appeared before the commission on the issue of sugar subsidy and recorded their statements.

On the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the federal government had made public reports of a high-level inquiry into the sugar and wheat crises on April 4 that had hit the people hard across the country in January.

Under the stewardship of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general Wajid Zia, two teams had carried out a probe into the crises and furnished their reports to the prime minister upon completion for perusal. The report had been made public after PM Imran Khan went through it.

The report revealed PTI stalwart Jahangir Khan Tareen, a brother of Food Minister Khusro Bakhtiyar, and PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi are among the beneficiaries of the sugar crisis which took a serious toll on the people, especially the poor