According to a press report, a judicial commission headed by a single judge has been formed to investigate the reason for the hike in sugar prices.
Any issue or matter which the government is not interested to take action on, is handed over to a committee or a commission. Everyone knows who the owners of these sugar mills are: they are politicians sitting in the National Assembly out to protect their vested interest.
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has already charged the sugar mill owners for forming a cartel to control the prices. The CCP fined the sugar mills for their malpractice and indulging in cartelisation. These fines were to the tune of Rs 50 million. But the court stopped the CCP from collecting the penalty by bestowing a stay order on the PSMA.
I think one of the reason of state institutions failure to protect the interest of the people, is that one autonomous authority is nullifying the decision of the other. By making CCP decision unchallengeable in the court of law can discourage cartelisation practices of manufacturers and will help to control prices hikes of various products. There are many cases pending in the court of law with stay orders decided by CCP. If the CCP decision is considered to be final and no appeal in the High Court and Supreme Court is allowed, only then the authority of the CCP will be effective.
S T HUSSAIN
Lahore
