The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ain has appealed to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to intervene in what it describes as a major sugar sector scandal that allegedly enabled mill owners to earn Rs300 billion through manipulated pricing.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Justice, the alliance’s Vice Chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar called for the formation of an inquiry commission under Article 184(3) of the Constitution. He said the issue concerns both economic justice and public confidence in governance.
Khokhar also suggested that if a full commission is not feasible, the matter be referred to a three-member bench or the letter be accepted as a judicial petition.
He cited testimony presented to the Public Accounts Committee on July 29, which revealed that sugar mills allegedly made Rs300 billion in undue profits due to policy manipulation and market failures.
On a related front, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has rescheduled hearings in its high-profile sugar cartel case, originally reopened following a tribunal order.
More than 70 sugar mills requested delays, citing the absence of their legal teams during the Supreme Court’s summer vacation. The CCP has now set new hearing dates for September 22 to 25, with a stern warning that no further postponements will be allowed.
The sugar mills have also filed over 50 appeals in the Supreme Court against the tribunal’s decision to direct the CCP to rehear the case.
The case dates back to 2021, when the CCP fined the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and its members Rs44 billion for forming a cartel and manipulating sugar prices.
In May this year, the Competition Appellate Tribunal remanded the case to the CCP, directing that it be reheard by the chairperson or an impartial member and a verdict be issued within 90 days.
The CCP reaffirmed its commitment to conducting daily proceedings during the September hearings to ensure transparency and justice.