Release of farmers payments pending with sugar mills ordered

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court on Friday directed Punjab cane commissioner to ensure release of farmers’ payments pending with Sharif family owned and other sugar mills in the province.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah was hearing a case regarding shifting of three sugar mills belonged to Sharif family. The court also directed the cane commissioner to submit progress report on the matter on February 27.

Chaudhry Sugar Mills, Rahimyar Khan, Ittefaq Sugar Mills, Bahawalpur, and Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills, Muzaffargarh had filed appeals against a decision by a single bench striking down the shifting of the mills. Earlier, the Punjab government’s counsel Khwaja Harris in his arguments stated that under the law a sugar mill was required to seek permission from the department concerned for its relocation.

However, he said there was no mala fide intention in relocation policy introduced by the government for sugar mills in 2015.

One behalf of Haseeb Waqas and Chaudhry Sugar Mills, Advocate Ali Sibtain Fazli argued that the law did not require permission for the shifting but for establishing new sugar mills. He said when the sugar mills in question were shifted the law had no condition of approval.