Tag: sugar mafia

  • ‘Three sugar mills in Sindh were shut down, leading to an increase in the price of sugar to Rs140 per kg’: PM Khan

    ‘Three sugar mills in Sindh were shut down, leading to an increase in the price of sugar to Rs140 per kg’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan during an address at a ceremony in Attock on Friday said that Sindh shut down three operational sugar mills, which contributed to an increase in the price of sugar.

    “The price of sugar in Pakistan has hit Rs140 per kg. I inquired why this was so. I learned that three sugar mills in Sindh, which were operational, were shut down,” the prime minister said.

    The prime minister went on to say that he subsequently learnt that due to the reduced supply, the sugar mills in Punjab began to hoard the commodity.

    “I told the chief secretary that our law forbids hoarding and so if the sugar mills are doing so, we must retrieve the stock and bring it out to the market so the price drops.”

    “We found out that since July, the sugar mills have obtained a stay order against the rule. And so our government was unable to do anything,” PM Imran Khan said.

    “This is a gross injustice that the sugar mafia earns billions after having broken the backs of our people. And when the government moves to do something, they obtain stay orders,” he remarked.

    PM Khan claimed that there was uproar in India as well over high petrol prices and Pakistan still had the cheapest petrol prices in the region.

    “In India today, there is uproar as well [over petrol prices] and the petrol price per litre is Rs150 while it is Rs200 in Bangladesh. [On the other hand] it is the lowest in Pakistan at Rs146,” the premier said.

    “The biggest [impact] of what happened was that the oil price first decreased and now in the last three months it has doubled […] when oil becomes expensive, then everything becomes expensive.”

    “When there was inflation in the whole world then obviously Pakistan is in this same world and not in the heavens so we also had to be affected. As a result, we fully tried and are still trying to protect our people from this inflation.”

    The prime minister’s comments come the same day as the government increased petroleum prices by up to Rs8.14 per litre with immediate effect to ensure the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

  • FIA summons Shehbaz Sharif in sugar scam inquiry

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif for questioning in connection with its ongoing probe into the sugar scam.

    Shehbaz Sharif has been asked to turn up at the FIA Lahore office on June 22, reports ARY News.

    The subpoena served to Shehbaz warned him of legal action, including his possible arrest, in case he fails to show up before the FIA. He is required to bring all the relevant documents along with him besides his replies to four questions the probe team has asked him.

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Shehbaz Sharif from outside the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a money-laundering case last year in September. He was recently granted bail on April 22, 2021.

  • ‘We will continue to remain part of PTI,’ says Tareen

    ‘We will continue to remain part of PTI,’ says Tareen

    Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen on Wednesday denied reports that he was forming a forward bloc in the party.

    “We were part of the PTI, and we will continue to remain part of the PTI,” Tareen announced outside the banking court where he had appeared for a hearing. He said that the like-minded group was established three months ago.

    Tareen said that his supporters had decided to form a separate group after the Punjab government initiated “revenge actions” against them.

    Tareen said his ‘supporters’ were standing with him as far as, what he referred to as the “fake” FIR lodged against Tareen. The pro-Tareen group had met the prime minister recently.

    On Tuesday night, Jahangir Khan Tareen hosted a dinner at his residence and announced a ‘group of like-minded people’. The newly formed group has appointed PTI’s Raja Riaz as Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly while PML-N’s Saeed Akbar Nawani will lead in the Punjab Assembly.

  • ‘Satisfied with cool winds blowing from Islamabad’: Tareen

    ‘Satisfied with cool winds blowing from Islamabad’: Tareen

    Jahangir Khan Tareen said on Thursday that he has been given an assurance that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will meet his group soon.

    “Now that a cool wind is blowing from Islamabad, we are satisfied,” said Tareen.

    Tareen also claimed he has the support of 40 lawmakers.

    Talking to the media outside a sessions court in Lahore, Tareen said that when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was in power, the government investigated his business and sent him notices but even the PML-N did not do to him what is being done now. “Even the PML-N did not turn a civil case to a criminal case, which has been done now.”

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told anchorperson Adil Shahzeb that he does not know about any upcoming meeting between Tareen and PM Imran. “Frankly I have not talked to either of the two about this.” Chaudhry added that Tareen played an important role in the formation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. “Everyone acknowledged and appreciates Tareen sahab’s role.”