ISLAMABAD, Feb 6: The government offered some hope in the National Assembly on Monday for a possible relief in high sugar prices and that it said could emerge from a meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday.

An opposition call-attention notice on an ‘unprecedented increase’ in sugar prices led to an unfinished bitter debate that dominated the day’s proceedings in the lower house, overtaking moments of anger over a government move to block a debate on the so-called ‘red notices’ it got issued by the Interpol about former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Despite a government assurance that a reduction in sugar prices in the open market was expected after the meeting called by the prime minister, Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain allowed more than a dozen members from the ruling and opposition parties to speak and said he would allow more discussion on Tuesday when the house would meet at 10am.

The prime minister made a rare appearance in the house during the debate and several members sought his attention to their complaints about the rising sugar prices. But Mr Aziz’s desk remained virtually besieged by ministers and members of his party and some from opposition benches, who sought either to shake hands or put a word to him about something, hardly allowing him any time to listen to the debate.

In the absence of Food and Agriculture Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan, parliamentary secretary for his ministry Rajab Ali Baloch blamed high sugar prices to a 15-20 per cent shortfall in sugar-cane and sugar production since record productions in fiscal 2003-04 and what he called all-time high prices in the world market.

He said the government had tried to meet the situation by allowing duty-free import of sugar, which did not help much while the government too was forced to increase the sugar price at its utility stores to Rs27 per kg from Rs23 per kg — compared to retail open market prices of more than Rs40 per kg.

“Keeping the whole situation in view, the prime minister has called a meeting tomorrow,” Mr Baloch said.

He said he could not pre-judge what the meeting would decide, but added: “I assure you some decisions will be taken to reduce the prices.”

There was a brief furore in the house at the start of the proceedings after two government ministers opposed an adjournment motion from members of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) seeking a debate on the Interpol ‘red notices’ issued last month at the request of the Pakistani government.

The speaker reserved his ruling on whether to admit the motion after hearing both sides. But the issue was raised again when PPP chairman Amin Fahim and some other signatories of the motion arrived in the house, saying they came late because their flight from Karachi was delayed and that they should be heard before the chair’s ruling.

The speaker initially said he could not reopen the issue and could hear more PPP members in his chamber. But he later told Mr Fahim: “Perhaps something (agreeable) will emerge after more consultations.”

At another point, when PPP member Naheed Khan raised the matter once again, the speaker told her: “Mohtarma, rest assured, I will take the right decision.”

PPP members branded the government’s approach to the international police for issuing the ‘red notices’ as a move to victimize and vilify the self-exiled former prime minister. But Law and Justice Minister Mohammad Wasi Zafar and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Raza Hayat Harraj, who opposed the adjournment motion, denied the charge and said Ms Bhutto would have an opportunity to clear her position.