LAHORE: The government has reportedly issued directions to provincial and district administrations to ensure the sale of the recently imported sugar at Rs84 per kilogram to the people, and the removal of the local sugar stocks being vended at Rs105 or so per Kg.

It emerged after an audio message went viral in which trader Pervaiz Butt, a Rawalpindi Markazi Anjuman-i-Tajran official, quoted the district administration as having said.

When contacted, an official source in the Lahore administration called the information correct, saying that “I can tell you that the government has instructed the district administrations to ensure sale of imported sugar at Rs84”.

Talking to Dawn, All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajran General Secretary Naeem Mir called the man speaking in the audio message a ‘representative’ of the administration.

He claimed the imported consignment was not of good quality. “It is all being done to discourage sale of locally produced sugar. And the audio message instructing shopkeepers to send pictures (of imported sugar) clearly shows that the government seems to be in trouble in disposing of the imported powder,” he said.

Mir said the traders in a meeting on Friday decided to keep opening their businesses despite the government instructions related to lockdowns to be issued soon.

He said the traders, in case of forced implementation of the possible lockdown observance, would participate in PDM rallies to raise their voice for their rights. “We have also decided to meet Maryam Nawaz on Monday,” Mir added. On the other hand, imported sugar is being sold in Lahore at Rs84 per Kg. “A couple of days ago, the powdered sugar I was given for Rs84 at a known store was imported one. No local sugar (big crystal) was available there,” said a resident of Johar Town. Another said a couple of days ago, he went to a shopkeeper who had only a local sugar. “He sold me the commodity at Rs105 per Kg. But when I objected to increased rates, he said the sugar you want to buy at Rs84 per Kg is not available because the customers are not interested in it,” he said.

DEMOLITION: Lahore Development Authority teams demolished illegal structures at Jubilee Town, LDA Avenue-I, RohiNullahand TIP Society, according to a spokesman. Lesco teams captured 18 people for stealing electricity and charged them with over 69,000 units, according to a spokesman.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2020