ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) on Monday requested Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi to order setting up of a judicial commission to uncover full extent of systemic policy manipulation within the sugar industry.
“We request a suo motu action be taken and this matter may urgently be referred to the three-judge committee or this letter be treated as a petition under Article 184(3) of the Constitution for formation of a commission to fix responsibility for policy manipulation and identify lapses in regulation,” said a two-page letter written by Vice Chairman of TTAP Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.
The commission should conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation to identify all beneficiaries of these exploitative decisions especially those from the ruling coalition who hold significant stakes in the sugar mills, the letter said.
The commission should also ensure strict accountability for those who have prioritised personal gain over national interest and public welfare, the letter suggested, adding the future of our nation’s economic stability and the trust of its citizens in democratic government depends on swift and resolute action.
Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen Pakistan calls it a matter of utmost urgency; says issue not ‘mere market fluctuation’, outcome of ‘deliberate policy choices’
The letter started by stating that TTAP was not writing to CJP as politicians but as deeply concerned citizens of Pakistan, witnessing with profound anguish the relentless economic assault on our populace, particularly through egregious manipulation within the sugar industry.
This is a matter of utmost urgency that demands the immediate and decisive intervention of the highest court, the letter said and, while highlighting recent events surrounding the sugar crisis, said it was a stark testament to how entrenched interests exploit national policy for personal gain, at the direct expense of the common citizen, they feared. We have seen retail sugar prices surge to an unprecedented Rs200 per kg since January.
This alarming increase is not a mere market fluctuation but a direct consequence of deliberate policy choices, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar regretted, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, in a move that defies logic and public interest, first approved the export of 765,000 metric tonnes of sugar between July 2024 and May 2025, despite clear warnings of impending supply shortages.
This decision allowed a select group of sugar barons to reap immense profits. Subsequently when local prices skyrocketed, the government paradoxically approved the import of 500,000 metric tonnes of sugar, further facilitating the same beneficiaries through preferential tax treatment, the letter said.
The cabinet waived all duties and taxes on these imports and this exemption has rightly drawn the ire of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), clashing with loan conditions and exacerbating Pakistan’s fiscal strain, the letter bemoaned.
This export-import cycle, repeated over the past 24 months, unequivocally exposes the profound influence of the sugar industry over national policy and raises serious questions about economic stewardship and more critically about who truly benefits from these decisions.
According to credible news reports, the letter said, a staggering 50 per cent of sugar mills were owned by politicians including prominent affiliates of the ruling PML-N coalition. This direct involvement of the political class, holding parliamentary seats, represents a profound conflict of interest and cements their “entrenched political clout”.
This blending of political muscle and commercial gains for a privileged few, the letter said, adding the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) had previously imposed penalties totally Rs44 billion on 81 sugar mills in Aug 2021, underscoring a history of cartelisation and exploitative practices, the letter emphasised.
The policy shifts in the sugar sector are not accidental; they are deliberate mechanism, crafted by politically connected elite, to extract wealth from the masses, the letter said.
These extractive political institutions ensure the system works for the few, not the many, the letter regretted, adding that the impact on citizens is severe. A July 10, 2025 report highlighted the government’s two-phase import plan to stabilise prices, yet the persistent influence of what is widely known as the ‘sugar mafia’ remains evident in every policy shift, demanding urgent scrutiny, the letter said. and reminded that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed on July 29 that sugar mills have earned Rs300 billion due to recent fluctuations in the rates of this essential commodity.
Regrettably, all available redressal forums that could provide relief remains silent, seemingly due to pressure from the executive, the letter said.
Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2025
