Islamabad: The story behind the rising sugar prices and public hardships was exposed in the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee. The Auditor General of Pakistan revealed that 42 influential families have earned a huge profit of Rs 300 billion from the current crisis.
It was revealed in the committee that when the ex-mill price of sugar was Rs 143 per kg, the government allowed the export of 7.9 lakh tons of sugar, which not only created a shortage in the local market but also increased the price to Rs 173.
Riaz Fatyana called it an ‘economic fraud,’ while Khawaja Shiraz held all institutions equally responsible for the exploitation of farmers. Moin Aamir Pirzada said, On what principle is the increase of Rs 2 every month being made?
Political heat was also visible in the meeting, when Aamir Dogar alleged that Asif Zardari, Jahangir Tareen, and the Sharif family have the most mills. Afnanullah and Shazia Marri reacted strongly to this statement, saying that accusations will not work.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Industries said that despite the excess quantity of sugar, phased export was allowed, which earned valuable foreign exchange, but the common consumer had to pay a heavy price for it.
The meeting demanded that the government, if its intentions are really pure, conduct a formal audit of the entire matter so that the real culprits can be brought to the fore.
