The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday summoned secretary industries for August 26 on a petition filed by two sugar mills, owned by prominent politician and industrialist Jehangir Tareen, challenging a government notification about fixing the retail price of sugar at Rs 89.5 per kilogram.
The court passed the orders after a law officer on behalf of the government sought time for filing reply.
Justice Shahid Jamil Khan heard the petition filed by JK Sugar Mills and JDW Sugar Mills. The sugar mills had filed the petition, stating that secretary industries fixed the ex-mill and retail price of sugar at the rate of Rs 84.50 and Rs 89.50 per kilogram, respectively on July 30 through a notification. They argued that the LHC had ordered the government to hear the stance of the sugar mills before fixing the prices of the sugar. However, despite the court orders, the petitioners were not heard, and new rates were fixed through a notification, they added.
The petitioner-mills submitted that price fixed by the government was irrational and contrary to the factual position of the cost of production. They submitted that the court had already granted relief to many sugar mills on the identical petitions. The petitioner-mills pleaded with the court to set aside the notification of fixing sugar prices and suspend the same till the final decision of petition.
It is pertinent to mention here that the court had conditionally stopped the government from taking coercive measures against two sugar mills in connection with the enforcement of sugar prices.
