Tareen not being targeted in sugar scam probe, says Shahzad Akbar

ISLAMABAD: The Adviser to PM, on Accountability, Shahzad Akbar, brushed aside allegations of selective application of law against Jehangir Tareen or others and said that all are equal before the law and added that neither anyone was being targeted nor spared in the sugar scam inquiries.

Speaking here at a news conference Saturday, Shahzad Akbar, emphasized that at least during the PTI government, the law would not protect or target anyone. He added that some sugar mill groups challenged the orders of the federal cabinet given in the light of the Sugar Inquiry Commission.

The courts found the orders to be in accordance with the law and recommended action accordingly. Akbar pointed out that it was constantly repeated in the sugar mills news conference that no one had contacted them.

“Let me remind that when this action was started, talks were also initiated with them which led to a drop in the sugar prices for some time. But surprisingly within a month or two, the same trend of soaring sugar prices was witnessed,” he noted.

The PM's advisor continued that prices increased at a time when the product was being produced and was available in great quantities as well. He explained that when a product is being made it has a certain cost value due to taxations and the profit ratio and it needs no rocket science to determine its price at all. He also said that when these sugar mills intended to export sugar they sought subsidy from the government and managed somehow to get an ex-mill price fixed, whereas no government in Pakistan has ever done so.

Replying to questions, he said that Jahangir Tareen raised concerns of being targeted but that is not the case. Akbar noted that the report of the Sugar Inquiry Commission came on May 2020 revealing money laundering, alleged financial fraud and some other issues, following which the federal government approved action and different departments were assigned tasks on this count. The government's action on the commission's report was also challenged in the Islamabad, Lahore and Sindh High Courts but all three of them upheld the government's action to be in line with the law.

The NAB, he said was sent items to take action if there was corruption related to subsidy. The FBR, he pointed out, was tasked to conduct a five years audit. The tax collection was 100% higher than the previous periods of this year. So far, the FBR has imposed a liability of over Rs 400 billion. While two cases were sent to the FIA, one was related to the sugar's export to Afghanistan and the other revealed money laundering in the audit of some sugar mills, involving Rs. over 25 billion in the accounts of Ramazan Sugar Mills, Al-Arabia and others, Rs.4.35 billion against JDW group and Rs. 3.14 billion against Faruki Pulp Mills. He explained at that stage, there were charges of money laundering only and FIRs were lodged and the process went ahead.

Referring to Jahangir Tareen concerns of being targeted, AKbar said ‘the task of accountability is not easy, you cannot make friends in the process. He pointed out that the JDW and Al-Arabia Mills challenged the FIA's jurisdiction in November 2020. But the divisional bench of LHC held that FIA had lawfully and competently taken cognizance of the matter and dismissed the petition. Akbar clarified that in the context of the commission report and the cabinet orders, the institutions were carrying out their assignments and this had nothing to do whether a sugar mill belonging to a person from the treasury side or opposition or public.