Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed provincial government to notify new price of sugarcane for current crushing season in fifteen days by de-notifying previous Rs 182 per 40 kilograms price. The SHC division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar also ordered sugar mills to buy sugarcane from growers at Rs 182 per 40kgs for current crushing season until Sindh government notified the new prices.
The court stated that Sindh Chief Minister should convene a meeting of provincial cabinet and complete all the codalities for notification of new sugarcane price. The judge remarked that the bench would issue contempt of court notice to Chief Minister if the order for new notification of sugarcane price was not complied with.
Court issued these directives in a petition, filed by sugar mills against the sugarcane price notified by Sindh Government on December 07 last year and prayed the court to set aside this notification. The counsel for sugar mills contended that fixation of sugarcane price by Sindh Agriculture Department was illegal. They argued that it should have been fixed by Sugar Control Board, constituted on the orders of Sindh Court.
The counsel stated that notification for the sugarcane price without the approval of Sindh cabinet was illegal and provincial government fixed the price without considering stance of sugar mills. Sugar mills prayed the court to declare the notification of the sugarcane price of the current crushing season void.
Additional Advocate General Sindh submitted before the court that power of taking decisions rests with the provincial government under rules of business and argued that approval from the cabinet is just a formality. He argued that all the stakeholders were taken on board for fixation of the sugarcane price and Rs 182 per 40kg is appropriate price for all the stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Sindh High Court (SHC) approved a petition for hearing against airing Indian movies/ dramas in Pakistan. It issued notices to federal government through Foreign Ministry, Information Ministry, PEMRA and Censor Board to submit their comments on March 08.
Atam Parkash and Salim Michael moved the high court against airing of Indian movies and dramas in view of tense situation on the border with India. They stated that airing of Indian movies is tantamount to injuring the hearts of Pakistani nation in the backdrop of standoff with India. They stated minorities stand by armed forces of the country.