Sugar mills owners’ intra-court appeal rejected by IHC

ISLAMABAD: A day after the Sindh High High quashed the Sugar Inquiry Commission (SIC) as unlawful, a two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected the intra-court appeal filed by sugar mill owners against the formation of the commission.

The SIC report released in July had laid bare startling revelations about how the prices of sugar are fixed, how exports of the commodity are faked to avail rebates on sales taxes, and how billions of rupees are overcharged by sugar mills owners.

The IHC announced its verdict in the case today (Tuesday) which it had reserved on July 24.

Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Lubna Saleem Pervez, in the verdict, rejected the appeal by the owners, upholding the earlier decision of the single bench.

On July 24, the IHC reserved its judgment on an appeal of the Sugar Mills Association against the constitution of the sugar inquiry commission.

The petitioners had called for the sugar inquiry report released on May 21 to be declared void and the actions ordered by the prime minister in this regard suspended.

The plea, filed by Advocate Salman Akram Raja, stated: "The scope of the Impugned report clearly exceeds the constitutional mandate and limitations of a Federal Commission of Inquiry constituted under the 2017 Act, as it trespasses into matters within the exclusive legislative and executive domains of the Provinces. The entire inquiry has been carried out in a completely illegal, unlawful, opaque, biased and discriminatory manner."

"It has been conducted in complete contravention to the requirements of the 2017 Act and the relevant terms of reference. The principle of natural justice as well as the Fundamental Rights of the petitioners including the right to due process, fair trial and non-discrimination have been violated," read the petition.

It was filed after the government’s announcement that it is forwarding cases to the National Accountability Bureau, FIA and other federal agencies to take punitive actions against those involved in the scandal.