Confectionery and sweet manufacturers observed complete strike on Wednesday. A large number of shop owners and their workers took out a protest procession against the sugar mafia. They strongly demanded that the government should change its one sided favourable policy, which is supporting the sugar mafia and yarn & cotton mafia.
Addressing a protest rally outside Faisalabad Press Club, the leaders of protestors pointed out that sugar is available in the domestic market but its rate is still beyond the reach of the common man, while hoarders also continued to release a restricted and limited supply to the market to manipulate and control the prices. If present government sugar policy continues, sugar will be available in the market at Rs 200 per kg, they warned.
The confectioners and owners of sweet shops gathered at Iqbal Park and Narwala Chowk and blocked the traffic. They raised the slogans against the government and hoarders. Protestors marched towards city roads and concluded at Faisalabad Press Club. Provincial Minister for Finance and Planning & Development, Tanvir Ashraf Kaira said that the government would soon overcome the crisis of sugar in the country and strict action would be taken against profiteers. Talking to a delegation of office-bearers of various labour organisations of Faisalabad, the minister said that the prices of sugar would go down soon.
He said that it is the need of the hour to work against price hike on war footings so that unrest among people could be redressed properly. The minister said, "the annual requirement of sugar of Pakistan is about 42.5 lakh tons and as a nation we should also reduce the consumption of sugar."
He added that political reconciliation and consensus is the need of the hour to overcome the big challenges of the country because our country is facing multiple problems on internal as well as external fronts. Political stability is the only key to resolve these issues with consultations, he said adding that government would resolve the issues of the masses during its tenure.