LHC extends restraining order against sugar price notification

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday extended restraining order against enforcement of the sugar price notification issued by the Sugar Advisory Board, ARY News reported.

The high court on a petition of sugar mills issued notices to the federal government and other parties in the case.

The bench comprised of Justice Shahid Karim, also summoned the Attorney General and Advocate General Punjab for assistance in the case.

“Fixing sugar price is mandate of the federal government or provinces,” the court posed question.

Sugar mills lawyer Imtiaz Siddiqui argued that the sugar price could not be fixed with the decision of the federal cabinet. “After 18th Amendment, provinces have been mandated to take decisions over affairs related to the food sector,” counsel argued.

“Instead of an autonomous appellate forum, an appellate committee, comprises of two secretaries is unlawful,” sugar mills lawyer said. “In contravention to the court order, sugar price was fixed without consulting the mills,” lawyer said. “Ex-mills rate of sugar fixed 80 rupees per kilogram, while the market rate has been fixed 90 rupees,” lawyer said.

“The sugar advisory board, while fixing the price, neither consulted nor heard the mills point of view,” lawyer told the court.

He pleaded to the court to suspend the one-sided fixing of sugar price by the board.