LHC seeks record of overall wheat and sugar stocks

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday sought record of total stocks of wheat and sugar in the province, ARY News reported.

Chief Justice LHC Mamoon Rashid Sheikh heard a petition over the matter.

According to petitioner wheat flour and sugar were available in quantity more than the requirement but the mafias have created an artificial crisis.

The feed mills have purchased wheat instead of the expensive corn. Around 2,50,000 tons of stocks have been purchased by the feed mills, while 4,00,000 tons of wheat have been exported, , the petition said.

The petitioner pleaded to the court to impose a ban over export of the wheat and crackdown against hoarding of sugar.

The bench sought the record of overall wheat and sugar stocks in the province, their export and estimates about smuggled out stocks of these commodities.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case till February 13.

Earlier, a petition filed in the Lahore High Court sought forensic audit of sugar stocks in sugar mills.

“The sugar mills have failed to submit details of their stocks in court, despite the court order,” according to the petition.

The government of Punjab didn’t act so far against the sugar mafia, the plea said.

The petitioner also pleaded to the court to issue an order to the government for action against the mills selling sugar on exorbitant rates.

The price of sugar, an essential ingredient in Pakistani cuisine, witnessed 10 rupees per kilogram hike in a week recently, the wholesale rate of the commodity rose from Rs64 to Rs74 per KG and an acute shortage of the commodity surfaced across the country.