Punjab Cabinet endorses LHC decision

Senior Advisor to CM Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa on Saturday said that the members of the Cabinet have endorsed the LHC decision of selling sugar at Rs 40 per kg. He told newsmen after the conclusion of the Punjab Cabinet meeting that the Advocate General Punjab has been directed to approach the LHC and seek its advice on how to settle the issue of 200,000 tonnes of sugar that retailers bought at Rs 45 per kg prior to the judgement," he added.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif presided over an emergency meeting of the provincial Cabinet in which legal and administrative steps were reviewed for implementation of the LHC verdict. Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said the Punjab government accepts the order of the LHC and fully respects it.
He said legal and administrative steps are being taken for implementation of this verdict; the purpose of this order is to provide relief to the common man and the government is taking steps for maintaining supply of sugar in the market to ensure this relief. "The government is already providing relief to the poor masses in Ramazan bazaars under the Ramazan package by curtailing its expenditures, as poor and downtrodden segment of the society has also the right over the resources," he added.
Shahbaz said sasta atta has been provided in Ramazan bazaars and billions of rupees are being spent on provision of sasta atta to poor and destitute persons in Ramazan bazaars and huge subsidy on atta has been given for the first time in the history of the country. The Chief Minister said he would talk to the Prime Minister for bringing the sugar of Trading Corporation of Pakistan in the market so that there should be no shortage of the commodity.
He directed constitution of a committee headed by Senior Advisor Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa and comprising Senior Minister Raja Riaz Ahmad, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Food Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran and senior officers, to hold dialogue with the sugar mill owners and dealers. "The committee would also convince them to cooperate with the government in implementing the verdict of the LHC and bring their stocks of sugar in the market so that people could easily get sugar," he added.