Dr Muhammad Akram, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League USA has demanded an immediate resignation of Manzoor Wattoo, Minister for Industries and Production.
He said that Wattoo confessed before the Senate Standing Committee for Industries and Production that because of pressure from certain interest groups he could not import sugar earlier despite warnings from the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) about an impending shortage.
Dr Akram said that that Wattoo had no moral justification to continue as a Minister and he must hand his resignation over to the Prime Minister. He said despite repeated warnings by the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of impending sugar shortage, failure of Manzoor Wattoo to protect people from sugar price hike clearly shows that he was more interested to protect landlords, like himself, than poor masses of Pakistan.
"He has not only cheated public but also kept the Prime Minister in the dark. He has no justification to continue and must not be allowed to go on with the same assignment. His only mission appears to enrich himself and other landlords. Gilani must remove him right away, just the way he removed the corrupt Chairman of the Steel Mill of Pakistan," he observed
He further said that last year the government had rescued the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) members by buying their stock when they were facing difficulty in disposing of superfluous production. Now these mill owners must reciprocate and reduce sugar prices immediately. The mill owners should have sympathy for the people who were facing crisis after crisis, a signal of failed government.
Dr Akram asked the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Industries and Production to investigate the sugar crisis and initiate criminal cases in the court against all those who were responsible for this criminal negligence, including Manzoor Wattoo.