LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Punjab chapter has condemned the surge in sugar prices, “mismanagement and malpractice” in sugar supply, and the unchecked empowerment of sugar mafia in the province, besides the hike in petroleum price.

PTI Punjab media cell head Shayan Bashir alleged that because of the sugar mafia and its patrons in the government, the sweetener is being sold at Rs180 to Rs210 per kilo in the market.

“There is no visible check and balance on sugar supply and pricing in the province, which is a clear reflection of the worst kind of mismanagement,” he said.

He said Pakistan’s largest province could not be run through glamorous advertisements and TikTok theatrics. “Governing a province is not a scripted show, it’s the real world, and unfortunately, Maryam Nawaz has completely failed in it,” he added.

JI seeks thorough probe

He said the ongoing sugar crisis was a glaring example of governmental incompetence and “elite favouritism,” adding that the sugar mill mafia was rewarded through artificial shortages, followed by duty-free sugar imports benefiting select importers.He demanded the government should either strictly enforce Rs165 per kg sugar rate, or publicly withdraw the official price.

The PTI called for a judicial inquiry into the price hike and duty-free sugar imports.Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced a nationwide protest on Friday (tomorrow) and divisional-level demonstrations on Sunday against skyrocketing electricity tariffs, rising fuel prices and ‘unbridled’ sugar mafia.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Wednesday, he declared that Jamaat-i-Islami is launching a renewed, peaceful, and organised movement against the corrupt ruling elite and the decaying system. He sought a thorough investigation into the sugar export-import scanda.

“The fake government, imposed through Form-47, has made life unbearable for the people,” he stated. He condemned the alliance between PML-N and PPP for backing the sugar mafia, which he warned is proving disastrous for both the country and its people.

Rehman said that after the successful completion of the membership campaign and the formation of public committees, the JI is stepping up its resistance against the decades-old political and economic status quo. Rehman expressed solidarity with the JI Balochistan chapter’s long march from Quetta to Islamabad. “The sense of deprivation in Balochistan must be addressed. The issue of missing persons must be resolved. The people of Balochistan have the foremost right to their minerals and other natural resources,” he said.

The JI leader said the government officials, institutions, and tribal elites are jointly facilitating cross-border smuggling at the Balochistan border. He stressed the need to regulate trade legally and complete the long-delayed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2025