The Punjab government on Tuesday blamed the stay orders issued by the Lahore High Court, which stopped the implementation of the sweetener’s notified price and prevented monitoring of the sugar supply chain, as one of the main reasons behind the exploding cost of sugar.
Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi chaired a meeting regarding sugar prices here. During the briefing, the food secretary mentioned that the Lahore High Court’s stay orders have prevented the acquisition of sugar mill records.
In response, the Punjab government has filed an appeal to have the stay orders cancelled promptly. The chief minister directed the Advocate General of Punjab to initiate this appeal urgently. He stressed the need for an immediate request to lift the stay orders and stabilize sugar prices.
The briefing also highlighted that due to these stay orders, sugar hoarders have enjoyed free rein, leading to a substantial increase in sugar prices and causing hardship for the people.
According to an official brief dated September 5, 2023, the stay order issued on May 4, 2023 and August 15 2023, paved the way for the price escalation of sugar. The dates of stay orders were extended on one ground or another. The August 15 stay order prevented the provincial government from monitoring the sugar supply chain, which, according to the government, led to its smuggling to Afghanistan.
