The sensitive issue of sugarcane price echoed in the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday as a number of opposition members wanted to speak on the matter demanding due price to the sugarcane growers of Sindh. The provincial agriculture minister also issued a statement on this issue.
Sorath Thebo of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and other opposition members stood many a times to speak on the issue of atrocities being meted out to Sindh growers. They said they wanted to express their concern over the issue that sugar millers were busy in exploitation of Sindh sugarcane growers who should be given the announced sugarcane purchasing rate of the government. However, the speaker did not allow the opposition members to raise this issue on points of order.
However, Agriculture Minister Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar giving a statement under Rule 261 said the government was taking steps to facilitate the growers. He said presently the matter was in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the provincial government would fully implement the verdict of the apex court when it came. He said a peaceful protest was the right of growers but some politicians were misleading them. However, Sardar Ahmed of the MQM said there should be a formula for linking the price of sugar with the price of sugarcane so that the sugar millers could not exploit consumers by selling sugar at higher price.
Sorath Thebo at the start of the session requested for the prayer for the success of a dharna of sugarcane growers of Sindh. The speaker said requests for such prayers should not be made in the House.
However, Mahatab Akbar Rashidi of PML-F said the people of Sindh had been braving economic genocide. She said the sugarcane growers of Sindh were the worst affected of this economic genocide and the government should support them and help them getting due price of sugarcane which was their right.
