Pakistan : PTI demands probe into sugar scandal, influence of sugar mafia
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded a parliamentary probe into the sugar price scandal, calling out alleged mafia influence within government circles. In the Senate, PTI Senator Ali Zafar urged swift action and a report within 14 days. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Aurangzeb defended the Competition Commission’s performance, citing 170 market abuse cases identified since October 2023 across 28 sectors.
ISLAMABAD – The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday called for the formation of a parliamentary committee to probe the sugar scandal and the alleged influence of ‘mafia’, dealing with the business of the essential commodity, within the country’s power corridors. The demand came in the Senate at a time when the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif administration and the sugar industry have been under serious criticism for the last couple of months due to sharp increase in the prices of sweeteners.
The Parliamentary Leader of the PTI Senator Ali Zafar, speaking in the House on a motion, demanded immediate action against all those involved in the sugar scandal and sought that a comprehensive report should be submitted to the Senate within 14 days. “This House must not remain silent. The time for speeches is over. The time for action is now,” he said. Senator Zafar said that the rising prices of petroleum products and the “throat-cutting” electricity bills had made life miserable for the common man.
He stressed that an increase in the price of petrol pushed up the cost of every essential item, making it hard for the citizens to meet their living expenses. Earlier, speaking on the motion to discuss the performance of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), the parliamentary leader of the PTI termed consumer protection as a key element of a free economy where cartels are dealt with an iron hand. Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Senator Danesh Kumar also said the cartel mafia was busy in plunder and the CCP had failed.
Winding up the debate on the motion moved by PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the Commission had improved its performance since August 2023 when the new management took charge. He told the house that the Cartels and Trade Abuse Department of the CCP had completed 20 inquiries in key sectors, such as essential commodities, power, transport and fertilizer.
Urging the need for the use of AI and data mining, he said that since October 2023, its Market Intelligence Unit unearthed 170 cases involving potential anti-competitive behaviour across 28 sectors including banking, real estate, telecom and e-commerce. “If CCP has to be effective, it has to be proactive,” he added. The minister proposed that the chairman of the CCP should be summoned in the Senate Finance Committee to seek a detailed report from him over the progress of the last two years.
Later, the House passed several bills, on a private members’ day, including the one to enhance punishment for obscenity related offences.
The bill titled the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Shahadat Awan, seeks to amend three sections (292-294) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The proposed amendment in Section 292 seeks to increase sentence for publication, production, public exhibition. distribution and sale of any obscene material or object from a mere three months imprisonment and unspecified fine to two years imprisonment and a fine of two hundred thousand rupees.
The amendment sought in Section 293 proposes to raise the sentence for sale of obscene objects, to any person under the age of 20 years, or such offers and attempts from imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both, to imprisonment of two years and a fine of one hundred thousand rupees.
The bill also seeks to amend Section 294 of the PPC relating to obscene acts and songs to increase punishment to one year imprisonment, or/and a fine of one hundred thousand rupees.
The House also passed the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Khalil Tahir.
The bill seeks to change eligibility criteria for membership of provincial and Islamabad Bar councils months before bar elections.
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Source : The Nation
