Prevention of action against sugar millers SC rejects govt's petition.

Islamabad -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday rejected the federal government's petition challenging the Sindh High Court (SHC) decision which prevented it from taking action against sugar mill owners in the light of recommendations by Sugar Inquiry Commission report.

The apex court ordered to maintain the SHC verdict till the next hearing. Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed said in his remarks that sugar mills will not be benefited even if the report is nullified and the regulatory institutions cannot be barred from working.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan inquired that whether the SHC has been apprised of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) decision which it gave over the case. Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan said the verdict has been mentioned in the petition filed by sugar millers but not in the SHC interim order.

He went on to say that many allegations have been leveled against mill owners in the inquiry report. The chief justice asked should the commission not have given an opportunity to sugar millers to give their viewpoint, to which the attorney general replied that there was no need to present their stance before the fact finding commission.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked if any action was taken on the commission's report. The attorney general told the court that some sugar millers moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and some filed petition in the Balochistan High Court (BHC) as they do not want the authorities to take action over the report.

The chief justice remarked that it is just a commission report, why do they want stay order over it. Sugar millers' counsel Makhdoom Ali...