LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday restrained the federal and provincial governments from taking coercive measures against sugar mills with respect to enforcement of sugar price.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza was hearing petitions by different sugar mills challenging a government notification about fixing retail price of sugar at Rs89.5 per kilo.

A counsel for the millers argued before the court that the price fixed by the government was irrational and contrary to the factual position of the cost of production. He said selling sugar at the impugned price was not practically possible.

He said the government did not follow the process ordered by the court to determine the price of sugar. He said the court had directed the government to have a detailed deliberation with all stakeholders, including sugar mills, before fixing the price.

The counsel asked the court to appoint an auditor to look into the matter as there were apprehensions that the government might forcibly lift the sugar stock from the mills.

The judge restrained the government from taking coercive measures against the mills

to implement the new price and sought replies from the respondents for a date to be fixed later.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2021