LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday ordered the Punjab cane commissioner to seal Brother Sugar Mills, owned by a close relative of Sharif brothers, for defaulting on Rs840 million payments of farmers against the supply of sugarcane.

Chief Justice-designate Syed Mansoor Ali Shah observed that the court could not turn a deaf ear to the miseries of farmers and warned to put the mills on auction if payment was not made to the farmers by the next hearing.

A number of farmers had approached the court against non-payment of their money. They alleged the mills’ administration had been employing relations with ruling Sharif family against government authorities and delaying payments.

During the hearing, Cane Commissioner Waqas Ahmad told the court that Brother Sugar Mills defaulted on Rs670 million last year and Rs170 million this year on the payments of farmers. He said the mills’ management failed to make payments due to acute financial crisis.

Justice Shah said the court’s prime concern was ordeal of the farmers and not the financial condition of the mills. The judge ordered the cane commissioner to seal the Brother Sugar Mills and also directed the inspector general of police to assist the commissioner to achieve the task.

The judge observed that the mills would be put on auction if its management failed to come up with a payment plan.

The hearing was adjourned till July 12.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2016