Sugar industry: SAPM accuses Khaqan of providing most subsidies

The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability, Shahzad Akbar, on Wednesday said that most of the sugar subsidies over the last five years were given during previous government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with the lion's share - Rs29 billion - given during the then premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's tenure.
Speaking at a presser, he said that new revelations had come to light from the recently released inquiry report into sugar price hike, and accused former prime minister belonging to the PML-N, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of providing the most subsidies to the sugar industry.
Akbar said that Rs29 billion worth of subsidies were given over the past five years, with only Rs2.4 billion offered by the Punjab government during the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's tenure.
He exonerated the federal government in giving any subsidy on sugar in its tenure, saying it only allowed exporting the surplus sugar, adding the investigation report of the sugar commission was comprehensive and an eye opener.
"In PML-N's tenure, more than Rs26 billion worth of subsidies were given," Akbar said.
The commission in its report wrote about the subsidy given in March 2017 by Abbasi, that on the basis of superficial calculations, a subsidy of more than Rs20 billion was allocated from the public exchequer to the sugar mills.
"Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who considers himself as Laiq-e-Azam [the most competent man] had also appeared before the sugar inquiry commission, and said that he himself headed the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) at the time," he added.
"Commission's report is an indictment against Abbasi," Akbar maintained.
He said that the report from the sugar probing commission was presented in the federal cabinet, which decided to make it public, adding the investors profited from fluctuations in sugar prices, while the common people and farmers bore the brunt.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, he underlined, had formed a commission to probe the fluctuations in sugar prices and the consequent report was made public as soon as it was received.
"Maybe some of our friends did not read the report properly. Perhaps the opposition didn't understand it as the report is in English and lengthy," he added.
"Audit matters have been reviewed in the report," Akbar noted, adding that a very important portion in it was the amount of subsidy given by the PML-N and specifically by Abbasi.
Subsidies were given due to "mismanagement in determining the production prices", he said.
Salman Shehbaz, the son of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, was the facilitator of the sugar subsidies, Akbar said, adding the PML-N President, Shehbaz Sharif, had said there was no link between the subsidies and his son Salman Shehbaz's businesses.
"Salman Shahbaz was the "facilitator", who by leading a cartel of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) manipulated the ex-PM Abbasi for giving subsidy of Rs20 billion," Akbar declared.
"Shehbaz Sharif has isolated himself. The case of telegraphic transfers (TTs) against him is in its final stages. Once it is finalised, he will have to answer in court," he said, referring to an ongoing probe into TTs tracing back to the former chief minister of the Punjab.
"How was Shehbaz Sharif able to purchase expensive homes for his wives in housing societies? These expenses were carried out through kickbacks and fake accounts."
"Shehbaz Sharif will have to face the courts once the TT case is finalised," Akbar reiterated.
Criticising the Government of Sindh, he said the leadership gave the most benefit to Omni Group through subsidies, which had been opposed by the provincial cabinet.
"The chief minister of Punjab appeared in front of the sugar inquiry commission but the chief minister of Sindh did not," Akbar said. "The [PTI] government will take equal action against our party and others" named in the report. He said irrespective of their party affiliation, the government would take action against all culprits exposed in the investigation report of the commission. Akbar said after the publication of the report, the prime minister would be briefed in the next week to direct the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and other concerned departments to file references in the court of law, in the light of the commission's report.