LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday restrained the federal and provincial governments from taking coercive measures against the sugar mills with respect to the enforcement of sugar price. The court hearing petitions of different sugar mills challenging a government notification about fixing the retail price of sugar at Rs 89.5 per kilogram also sought replies from the respondents for a date to be fixed later.

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

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

He said there were apprehensions that the government might forcibly lift the sugar stock from the mills and hence asked the court to appoint an auditor to look into the matter.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021