LHC stops implementation of fine over sugar mills

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday has stopped the implementation of the fine over sugar mills on the notices of the Competition Commission of Pakistan.

The pleas filed by Ali Tarin and others were heard by LHC Justice Jawad Hassan. During the proceedings, the plaintiff adopted the stance that owners of the mills were fined in the wake of an allegation of selling sugar at inexpensive rates.

The fines were slapped against the law on which the members of the Competition Commission of Pakistan do also not agree, the plaintiff stated.

In this context, the commission cannot issue fine notices to the mills owners, they added.

The petitioner said that the issue is already under hearing at the court, therefore, the fines cannot be imposed until the final decision of the case.

The LHC bench after stopping the implementation on the fine slapped over the sugar mills, forwarded the case to Justice Shahid Karim.

Earlier, Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar had said that following the sugar commission’s report, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) imposed additional taxes on mills, enabling the payment of all outstanding dues to farmers.

Sharing details from his Twitter handle, Mirza Shahzad Akber had said that the FBR imposed additional taxes of Rs619 billion on sugar mills and Rs 13.8 billion on middlemen following a report from the sugar inquiry commission.