SC directs opening of Sharifs’ sugar mills in south Punjab

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ordered to open the sugar mills owned by Sharif family in South Punjab in the larger interests of the farmers.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday heard the case. The SC also directed all the other sugar mill owners to purchase sugarcane from the farmers.

The Supreme Court directed the Haseeb Waqas, Iteffaq and Chaudhry sugar mills to purchase sugarcane and directed them to manage separate accounts and submit monthly details to the court. Rejecting the assurance made by Jehangir Tareen, the CJP told Aitzaz Ahsan not to undertake the responsibility of task which could not be completed.

Aitzaz Ahsan told the court that the crushing of sugarcane would continue after April. On this, the CJP remarked that sugar mills would purchase the sugarcane from points specified by the commissioner. The parking expenditure would be paid by the mill owners during trolleys’ stay outside the mill. Aitzaz Ahsan said the sugarcane could be weighed inside the mills as there is no weight machine in the southern Punjab. Justice Umer Atta Bandial, a member of the bench remarked that sugar mills had assured of purchasing sugarcane from pickup points.