Sugar-Warlords: The coalition partners behind recent sugar crisis

THE FREEDOM SPECIAL REPORT

By Sudhir Chaudhry

Lahore: PTI allies and top officials turn out to be hoarders of sugar and black marketing of sugar begins. Punjab Assembly Speaker, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi along with Khusro Bakhtiar, Akhtar Brothers remained main culprits for the upsurge in the recent sugar prices, The Freedom special repost has found. Zaka Ashraf, the best friend of Asif Ali Zardari and current Chairman Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) also found hoarding sugar thus creating artificial crisis.

The sources said that sugar mills of PTI’s partners including Khusro Bakhtiar, Humayun Akhtar Khan and Haroon Akhtar Khan are not selling sugar despite having stock. Details of sugar stocks by Sugar mills of sugar Mafia were obtained on November 2, 2021. These reserves have been verified by the DCs of the respective cities.

Reportedly, 3.747 million metric tons of sugar was produced during the current crushing season. According to reports, 3.71 million metric tons of sugar has been sold.

On November 1st , Punjab’s sugar mills were said to have 80,000 metric tons of sugar. The supply of sugar was discontinued and a deliberate crisis was created so that black marketing could take place.

“Sugar Mills Rahim Yar Khan”, owned by Speaker Punjab Assembly, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Industries & Production, Khusro Pervez has been reported having 12,316 metric tons of sugar. The “Silanwali sugar mills”, owned by Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Khusro Pervez have 14,328 metric tons of sugar.

“Tandilianwala Sugar Mills”, owned by Former Federal Minister for Trade and Commerce of Pakistan, Humayun Akhtar Khan, has 14,029 metric tonnes of sugar whereas Haroon Akhtar Khan’s “Tandilianwala Sugar Mills” has 3,221 metric tonnes of sugar

Chairman Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf’s “Ashraf Sugar Mills” has 6,147 metric tonnes of sugar in stock. “Adam Sugar Mills has 1000 metric tons, “Sheikhu Sugar Mills” 484 metric tons and “Rasool Nawaz Sugar Mills” is said to have 1,472 metric tons of sugar.

“Hussain Sugar Mills” has 4,822 metric tons, “Safina Sugar Mills” has 715 metric tons and in “Two Star Sugar Mills” 3,222 metric tons of sugar is available. “Shah Taj Sugar Mills” has 9,110 metric tonnes, “Patoki Sugar Mills”, 491 metric tonnes and “Seven Stars Sugar Mills” has 2,771 metric tonsof sugar.

“Noon Sugar Mills” has 2,434 tons while “Al-Muiz Sugar Mills” 2 has 2,299 metric tonnes of sugar.

According to the stocks released on November 2, the Food Department claims that 39 sugar mills have 80,000 metric tons of sugar. “Some sugar stocks are being shown for sale but not delivered”, said the Punjab Food Department sources.

The daily requirement of Punjab consumers is 3,000 tons. The Punjab government has sent one lakh metric tonnes of imported sugar to the market for sale.

Imported sugar is being sold at Rs 90 per kg. Local sugar wholesale has reached Rs 135 per kg and at times Rs 140 per kg.

Muhammad Sudhir Chaudhry is senior journalist and Special Correspondent of The Freedom. He can be reached at muhammadsudhirch@gmail.com