KARACHI, Feb 8: The National Labour Federation (NLF), Karachi Zone, has expressed concern over the soaring prices of sugar and termed the increase in its prices after similar increase in the prices of petroleum products as “depriving the poor from the right to live”.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the President of NLF Karachi, Rafiq Ahmed, held some “black sheep in the government” and hoarders for creating an artificial shortage of sugar responsible for its skyrocketing prices.

“They (hoarders) are sucking the blood of poor masses to fill their coffers,” he said.

The labour said that the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) had held the government responsible for the high sugar prices because it did not allow sugar to be brought into the market despite having 217,000 tons sugar in stock.

He said the exorbitant prices of daily-use commodities like ghee, sugar, flour, edible oil, etc had made it difficult the for poor to survive, but the bureaucracy was enjoying all luxuries of life.

He demanded the government to reduce the prices of daily-use commodities and take stern action against those responsible for increasing sugar prices.—PPI