Sugar scandal: Interior ministry challenges SHC's orders on inquiry commission report.

ISLAMABAD -- The interior ministry on Sunday approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Sindh High Court's (SHC) decision barring the federal government from taking action on the recommendations of the Sugar Inquiry Commission report.

In its petition, the federal government said, the top court was informed that the SHC gave relief to the sugar mills association without listening to the government.

It added that the stay order cannot be issued without listening to the other party involved in the case, appealing to the court to declare the order as null and void.

The petition also states that Islamabad High Court (IHC) has declared that the commission report does not affect the rights of the sugar mills association. It added that the SHC has also excluded IHC's order.

The federal government also told the court that the Centre's stance was that it should be allowed to take action over the Sugar Inquiry Commission report.

Earlier this week, the SHC suspended the operation on the Sugar Inquiry Commission report to the extent of as many as 20 sugar mills owners in Sindh.

The interim order came on the petition of Mirpurkhas Sugar Mills and others, which sought quashing of the Sugar Commission Inquiry report.

The petitioners' counsel submitted that the commission was not properly constituted per the relevant legislation. Besides, the commission included members who were biased and had already made up their minds against the sugar mills as they were members of the earlier inquiry committee constituted for the same purpose.

They submitted during the entire inquiry commission exercise, none of the petitioners were asked for information or clarification regarding the operation and business of their respective sugar mills while the sugar commission made observations against the petitioners, which has harmed the businesses and reputation of the petitioners.

The SHC's division bench, headed by Justice Omar Sial, inquired the counsel as to how the matter fell within the writ...