Sugar mill owners reluctant to accept LHC order

The sugar mill owners refused to have a meeting with the Chief Minister Punjab. They are adamant upon selling sugar at the previous price and also stated that if the issue is not resolved they'll take the matter to court. Sugar vanished from markets today after the LHC ordered Punjab government on Thursday to sell the commodity at Rs 40/Kg. Sugar was not available in wholesale markets of Lahore while retailers were also reluctant to sell sugar at the said price. Sugar was not available in Rawalpindis main markets while some retail shopkeepers were selling it in small amounts. Sugar also vanished from Ghalla Mandi and other markets of Multan; sugar has become a scarce item in other cities of the province as well. A bench comprised of Chief Justice LHC Khawaja Muhammad Sharif and Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry took the suo moto notice of this sugar crisis on Thursday. The court called the Chief Secretary and ordered him to purchase sugar from mills at Rs 36 per kg and sell at Rs 40 per kg. On the other hand, sugar mill owners said that they would appeal against the decision. Chairman Sugar Mills Association Javed Kiani said that an appeal would be registered against the decision because it was difficult to sell the sugar at Rs 36 per kg. Provincial Law Minister Punjab Rana Sanaullah said that the government would implement the decision of the court at every cost but the courts did not have the authority to fix the sugar prices.