SC endorses LHC verdict on sugar price

By Saad Saud

ISLAMABD—The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Wednesday rejected an appeal of granting stay order against the ruling of Lahore High Court (LHC) on sugar prices and upheld the LHC decision regarding the sale of the sugar at the rate of Rs. 40 rupees per kilogram.
According to sources, the Supreme Court of Pakistan upheld the Lahore High Court’s decision and directed the government to furnish a three-year record of sugar prices. The State Bank of Pakistan was also told to provide its record of loans to sugar mills owners.
A three member bench of SC, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry conducted the hearing of the case regarding fixing sugar prices by the Lahore High Court. During the hearing, the Chief Justice ruled to follow the LHC verdict till the settlement of the case and directed the sugar mills owners to implement that LHC verdict.
The Supreme Court has warned them to be ready for contempt of court proceedings if the decision was not implemented. The Court also sought report from all the four chief secretaries and sugar mill owners regarding the production of the sugar and its price of the period ranging from January to 31st of July this year. The Supreme Court also directed them to explain reasons behind the sudden surge in the prices of the commodity to Rs. 55 and RS. 60 which was 28 Rupees per kilogramme and has now risen to 60 rupees per kg?
Later talking to newsmen, Deputy Attorney General Shah Khawar said the judgement of the apex court is applicable on all the four provinces. On Sept 9, the Lahore High Court had directed the Punjab government to provide sugar at Rs 40 per kg throughout the province. Sugar prices had surged to about Rs 60 per kg in Pakistan ahead of Ramadan.
The lawyers of the of the appellant - All Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (APSMA) - had filed the petition in the apex court to issue a stay order against LHC verdict, and fix the interim sugar rate at Rs. 45/kg till the settlement of the case, but the Supreme Court had rejected the petition. Later, hearing of the case was adjourned till the 24th of this month.
Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the petition seeking stay order against fixation of sale price of sugar at the rate of Rs 40 per kilogram by Lahore High Court (LHC) besides issuing directives that sugar be sold out at the price fixed by LHC till apex court gives any decision in this case.
The SC had also issued notices to chairman Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), chairman Competitive Commission of Pakistan (CCP), chief secretaries, Punjab, Sindh and NWFP and secretary food and agriculture and sought reply from them on the matter.
A 3-memner SC bench presided over by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising justice Sardar Raza and justice Nasir ul Mulk took up the case for hearing Wednesday.
At the inception of hearing Farooq Amjad Mir counsel for Sugar Dealers Association (SDA) while giving the arguments took the plea that the decision delivered by LHC on fixation of sugar sale price was beyond its jurisdiction. LHC had negated the previous decisions of SC by fixing the prices, he contended.
CJP remarked “you people want protection be provided to a few sugar dealers by putting into trouble 170 million people. Then this heinous business would not be allowed to run, he further remarked. Link...