Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah refuses to appear before sugar probe commission

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has refused to appear before the inquiry commission constituted to probe the increase in sugar prices in the country while maintaining that summoning him doesn’t conform to terms of reference of the constitution of the probe body.

In this regard, Sindh Advocate General Sindh Salman Talibuddin has sent a letter to the director general Federal Investigation Agency, Islamabad. The letter carries the subject: Inquiry commission to probe the increase in sugar prices.

It states: “I write with reference to your letter no Col/Sugar/2020/102 dated 11.05.2020 addressed to the Honourable Chief Minister of Sindh and, on instructions received, take this opportunity to bring the following to your kind attention: The letter under reference requires the Honourable Chief Minister Sindh to appear before the Sugar Inquiry Commission on 13.05.2020 and brief the commission on the issue of subsidy granted by the Government of Sindh in 2017-18 on export of sugar in addition to the subsidy allowed by the federal government during that period. The issue in request of which the Honourable Chief Minister Sindh has been requested to appear before the Inquiry Commission does not fall within the Terms of Reference set out in the Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Interior’s Notification No.F 5/14/2020-FIA dated 16.03.2020. As such the request does not comply with Section 3(3) of the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act-2017 and warrants immediate withdrawal”.