LHC seeks more arguments on pleas about sugar pricing

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday adjourned the hearing of petitions, challenging the Punjab government’s notification authorising the cane commissioner to fix sugar prices, till November 7. The court sought more arguments from parties on the next hearing.

The bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, heard the petitions filed by sugar mills against the notification. During the proceedings, the counsel for sugar mills argued that the cane commissioner could control sugar prices only whereas price controlling and price fixing were two different things.

The market forces determine the prices of sugar and the cane commissioner did not have any power in this regard, he added. He submitted that the Punjab government had given powers to the cane commissioner to fix sugar prices in violation of the rules.

Subsequently, the bench adjourned further proceedings until November 7 and sought more arguments from the parties. The caretaker Punjab government, through a notification on July 28, 2023, authorised the cane commissioner to fix the price of sugar, regulate its storage, and take other steps.

As per the directives, the cane commissioner may fix the ex-mill price of sugar after giving the representative body of sugar factories an opportunity of being heard. However, the Lahore High Court had stopped the cane commissioner from making a final decision on fixing the prices of sugar.