RAWALPINDI: Sugar will disappear from shops in the garrison city from Monday (today), as the Punjab Karyana Association has asked shopkeepers not to stock or sell it.

The retailers refused to sell sugar at Rs173 per kg fixed by the government from Monday and said they purchased it at Rs188 per kg and it was not possible for them to sell it at the official price.

“Punjab Karyana Association decided not to sell sugar in their shops to avoid fines and cases. Only those shopkeepers who have old stocks of sugar will sell it while retailers will not purchase new stock from the wholesalers,” said Patron-in chief of Punjab Karyana Association Saleem Pervaiz Butt while talking to Dawn.

He said that mill owners were charging more from wholesalers and they did not purchase sugar. Retailers have decided not to sell sugar at their shops.

“The government will purchase sugar from mills at Rs165 per kg and sell it at Rs173 per kg by itself,” he said. He said that the provincial government had launched action against shopkeepers and lodged FIRs while imposing heavy fines on them.

“To avoid heavy fines and FIRs, shopkeepers will not keep sugar in their shops from Monday,” he said.

“We purchase 50-kg bag of sugar from wholesalers at Rs8800 and it is not possible for us to sell it at Rs173 per kg.” He said that in Rawalpindi there was no sugar mill and retailers have to spend Rs10 per kg as transport charges.

“It will be better for the provincial government to establish points to sell sugar at its fixed price,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025