ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Awaam Pakistan Party convener Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Thursday that Rs300-400 billion from the masses’ pockets went to the sugar mills owners, as the governments, which are not representative of the people, are concerned about their own pockets, not the people.
Speaking at a news conference here, he said that the price of sugar had gone up to around Rs200 per kg, and in a year, there has been a 50 percent increase in its rate. He asked where the government and the cabinet were and whether this was their ‘performance’. He charged that while importing the sweetener, additional benefits were again provided to the owners of sugar mills instead of providing relief to consumers.
“I don’t level allegations of corruption; let the people decide whether this is incapability or corruption that so much money from people’s pockets went to the mills owners. This trend continues despite the presence of some eight committees that are supposed to monitor sugar production, availability, and its price,” he contended. He emphasised that the majority of sugar mills are owned directly or indirectly by those sitting in the government.
Shahid Khaqan explained that if the price of sugar increases by one rupee per kg, Rs7 billion is lost from the pockets of the people. He regretted that when there was not enough sugar in the country, its export was allowed. “Even today, Rs1 billion is going to sugar mill owners from the pockets of people every day. The government, parliament, and sugar price control committees have failed,” he said.
Abbasi did not limit his criticism to sugar alone. He noted that the flour crisis has worsened even further, describing it as a telling sign of the country’s poor governance. “This is the state of governance in the country. Is there anyone who is going to answer? At least admit the mistake. A senior minister, Khawaja Asif, on the floor of the assembly said corruption had increased so much, and then another minister attacked him, but neither the cabinet nor parliament took notice of it,” he noted.