PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Advisor Muzammil Aslam has accused the federal government of allowing sugar prices to spiral out of control, alleging deep-rooted collusion between the sugar cartel and those in power.
In a video statement, Aslam addressed the ongoing sugar crisis and shed light on its origins and political context.
He recalled that the Sugar Inquiry Commission was originally formed in 2020 by PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had warned at the time that the sugar mafia aimed to push prices to Rs 130 per kg during Ramadan.
However, due to government action, the price was kept at Rs 90 per kg.
Aslam noted that in November 2020, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) issued notices and imposed Rs 44 billion in penalties on sugar mill owners.
These penalties were later stayed in tribunals and, as political pressure on Imran Khan mounted, the case lost momentum and was not pursued further.
He pointed out that four years later, the same cartelization case has been revived with fresh notices issued to mill owners — after the price of sugar hit Rs 200 per kg. He claimed that the federal government was now using the same Sugar Commission report prepared under Khan’s tenure, and yet has failed to take decisive action.
Aslam alleged that up to 20 ministers in the current federal cabinet own sugar mills. “This is a direct conflict of interest,” he said. He also criticized Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for approving the export of 150,000 tons of sugar in July 2024, a move he claims worsened domestic shortages.
He further stated that the KP government, under Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, refused to export sugar and decided not to allow any export until the crushing season begins.
Despite this, the federal Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved the export of 500,000 tons of sugar.
Aslam detailed that between October 2024 and January 2025, sugar prices rose from Rs 142 to Rs 165, and the ex-mill rate jumped to Rs 180. Currently, he said, the price has crossed Rs 210 per kg. “Sugar has become the backbone of the government’s profiteering,” he remarked.
He concluded by challenging Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to release sugar stocks from his mills and auction them at Rs 142 per kg, depositing the excess profits into the national treasury.
