Sugar commission fails to fix responsibility: Khaqan

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday reiterated his party's stance on findings of the sugar commission, saying that the Commission failed to fix responsibility on the real culprits.
Talking to reporters along with PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, the former prime minister said that the Commission published a 347-page report, but failed to come up with facts.
He said that the inquiry body did not identify those responsible for the sugar crisis in its report.
"The Commission completely failed to include the names of the real culprits - Prime Minister Imran Khan and then finance minister Asad Umar - in its report," Abbasi maintained.
He said that it was the decision of the federal cabinet to export the sugar and the prime minister is in charge of the federal cabinet.
He said that the Commission was constituted to determine why the prices of sugar had surged, adding that the day the Commission was constituted sugar prices had risen by 20 percent.
Abbasi also maintained that the Commission comprised incompetent officers who failed to fix responsibility on the 'real culprits', adding that the entire sugar mafia is sitting in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
He asserted that sugar was exported even during PML-N government, but the prices were kept under control.
Responding to a question, the former premier denied having any contact with senior PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen who has reportedly developed differences with the party following Prime Minister Khan ordered an inquiry into the sugar crisis.
Abbasi also criticized the government for its 'flawed' strategy to deal with coronavirus pandemic in the country, saying that the virus is spreading rapidly and the number of confirmed cases is increasing to an alarming level.
"The government has completely failed to deal with coronavirus situations," he further maintained.
"The theft of Imran Khan and Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar could not be concealed through creating circus and waving of paper by the hired spokespersons," Marriyum Aurangzeb said in response to the statement of Shehzad Akbar, the PM adviser on accountability. She rejected the allegations against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, saying that the government should take action instead of 'staging circus' on the media, if it has anything against PML-N and the former premier.
She claimed that the PML-N had not allowed the price of sugar to go up by a single penny in five years.
"For how long will the unknown spokesmen lie to the nation? When will you bring the proofs instead of leveling baseless allegations," she asked, adding that "Shahbaz Sharif [when he was the chief minister], was not Imran Khan to come under pressure of the sugar mafia and then try to hide under the guise of report by forming a commission".
She maintained that Shahbaz Sharif sided with the poor farmers instead of the sugar mafia and did not allow their rights to be squandered.
"The 'rented' spokesman should answer as to why 'Imran Mafia' increased the sugar prices from Rs53 to Rs90 per kg in two years," she asked, adding that they also need to explain as to why export was allowed despite the shortage in the country.
She also asked the government spokesmen to tell the nation as to why subsidy was given on sugar export when the rupee was depreciating by 40 percent against the dollar.
She further maintained that the sugar commission was dissatisfied with the response of Razzak Dawood, Asad Umar and Usman Buzdar.