LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Monday turned down a request of Chaudhry Sugar Mills’ counsel to allow cane crushing, and adjourned hearing of a case regarding shifting of three sugar mills belonging to the Sharif family.

Advocate Ali Sibtain Fazli stated before the bench that the matter of Chaudhry Sugar Mills was not identical to the other two mills so they should be allowed to start crushing. The other two mills were Haseeb Waqas and Ittefaq.

However, the bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah did not entertain the request and put off hearing till today (Tuesday) for further arguments of Advocate Khawaja Harris on behalf of the Punjab government.

The bench also sought a fresh report from the Muzaffargarh district and sessions judge about compliance of a Supreme Court stay order by Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills.

JDW Sugar Mills of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Secretary General Jahangir Tareen and other mills had challenged shifting of the mills belonging to the Sharif family.

However, a division bench had suspended the single-bench decision. JDW mills approached the Supreme Court against that order and the apex court suspending cane-crushing at Chaudhry Sugar Mills (Rahim Yar Khan), Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills (Muzaffargarh) and Ittefaq Sugar Mills Bahawalpur. It also remanded the matter to Lahore High Court with a direction to decide the pending appeals.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2017