Abbasi questions NAB inaction on sugar, wheat crises

ISLAMABAD PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday blamed the federal cabinet and the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) for the sugar crisis and increase in its price.

He was talking to the media after recording his statement with the inquiry commission constituted to probe the scandal at the FIA Headquarters here.

Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) Chairman Aslam Farooque and the association representatives from the four provinces also appeared before the Inquiry Commission.

Abbasi said a dacoity of Rs100 billion committed on the people was still on. He said the price of sugar at the mills was Rs46 per kilogram but it was being sold at Rs76 to Rs80 per kilogram.

He asked as to who was responsible that the mill owners were pocketing a benefit of Rs30 per kilogram.

“The facts are very clear, as it were the federal cabinet and the ECC which allowed export of sugar,” he said.

He said the sugar price and its export continued to increase despite the fact that stocks were not surplus in the country. “Facts have proven that the decision of the federal cabinet and ECC was wrong,” he maintained.

Abbasi alleged that facts had also proved that the ECC chairman was incompetent and corrupt.

He pointed that one could drive conclusion from the factual position that either the prime minister was incompetent or corrupt possessing no qualities.

“But we feel he is both incompetent and corrupt,” he said.

He said while recording his statement with the commission, he opined that the commission could reach facts if it also summoned the ECC chairman, who was prime minister, and the cabinet members. He said a conflict of interest was obvious from the scam, as top leaders of PTI cabinet were directly benefitting from increase in sugar price.

“The PTI leadership and prime minister himself should respond to these questions as a huge dacoity has already been committed on masses,” he said, adding they were doing politics but talk on facts.

He pointed out that sugar import was also made impossible due an unnecessary tax imposed on it.

To a question, Abbasi said he had asked the commission chairman that the minutes of the federal cabinet and ECC could be used as evidences.

He said PML-N President Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif had been summoned by the NAB Multan in 1976 case of distribution of land to the affected people saying that they have already been saying that the NAB was meant for political engineering.

“The NAB chairman could not take notice of sugar and wheat crisis and thefts of the government. The actions of NAB have proven that there was nothing in cases against Shahbaz Sharif in the past also.”

He said Hamza Shahbaz had also been behind the bars but no case had been proven against him.

Meanwhile, reliable sources told The News that PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will prepare a document containing legal and technical issues with regard to the sugar crisis and submit it next week to the Inquiry Commission investigating the whole affair.

The sources said Abbasi had briefed the Commission, headed by the FIA Director General Wajid Zia, about the sugar crisis for one and a half hour, and highlighted the official procedures dealing with these kinds of issues.

“Abbasi also asked the Inquiry Commission that if it would provide him with the minutes of the meetings of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the federal cabinet in which permission was given to export sugar then he would thoroughly assess them and prepare a comprehensive report that would greatly help understand the details of the sugar crisis,” the sources said.

The sources said the FIA director general was quite anxious to get to acquire the ‘technical knowledge’ about the procedures that are used to give permission to export sugar by the mill owners. Talking to The News, Abbasi said, “I and Khurram Dastgir Khan had a detailed discussion with the members of the Inquiry Commission and I would talk about something later.”

To a question, he said, “I am clear in my mind that unless the Inquiry Commission asks questions from the finance minister who was heading the ECC and the prime minister, who was chairing the federal cabinet, no one can ascertain the real truth behind this sugar crisis.”

“The Inquiry Commission has to ask questions from Asad Umer and Prime Minister Imran Khan that will help it dig out the real factors leading to the sugar crisis,” he said.

Replying to another question, he said the PML-N government also gave subsidy to the sugar mills owners but there was no shortage of sugar anywhere and there was also a strict mechanism to monitor the prices of sugar in the country.

Abbasi pointed out that Prime Minister Imran Khan acted as silent spectator for sixteen months when sugar was being exported despite the fact that there were not enough stocks to even meet the local requirements.

He alleged that the Imran-led government also imposed tax on import of sugar so that the local mill owners could benefit from it and sell out sugar at heavy rates.

He also blamed the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for the sugar crisis because according to him he facilitated the sugar mill owners by giving them subsidy worth Rs3 billion.

“There was nexus involving persons from the Centre and the Punjab and these must be made accountable for their wrong deeds,” he said.

He said, “Honestly speaking, there were two things involved in the sugar crisis — the inefficiency and corruption. Now there is a need to identify the real culprits and take action against them.”