Jahangir Tareen tells SC he will buy all sugarcane from affected growers

• SC postpones judgement on Sharif mills’ transfer
• CJP cautions farmers against becoming someone else’s ‘mouthpiece’

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary general Jahangir Tareen, along with five other mill owners, on Thursday told the Supreme Court (SC) that he is willing to buy harvested sugarcane from all farmers affected by the suspension of sugar mills operations.

A three-member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, was hearing the petition against a Lahore High Court (LHC) order to relocate three sugar mills that are believed to be owned by the Sharif family.

In 2006, the government halted the inauguration of new sugar mills and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif allowed the transmission of Sharif mills.

On this basis, only Sharif family mills, including Ittefaq mills, Haseeb Waqas mills and Chaudhry Sugar mills, were shifted to southern Punjab and Jahangir Tareen and five other sugar mill owners registered their complaints against this development.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) had ordered the mills, owned by members of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz Sharif’s family, to move out of South Punjab.

In the petition, filed last year, farmers and mill owners had urged the court to overturn the LHC’s decision arguing that the halting of crushing has affected cane growers since they are unable to sell their harvest.

On Wednesday, the SC had given Tareen two options: either the cane be processed after a commission is paid to crushers, or that the entire produce that, according to the prosecution, is current rotting, is bought by Tareen.

During Thursday’s hearing, Tareen’s counsel Aitzaz Ahsan gave a guarantee in writing that five sugar mills in the area will buy all sugarcane from the farmers.

At this, Chief Justice Nisar replied that the SC will observe the buying process for one day and sugar mills must buy sugarcane at Rs180 per kilogramme. He also said that he will hear the farmers’ complaints over the issue soon.

The farmers raised some objections over the announcement, saying that the businessmen had not specified how they will buy the cane. Aitzaz Ahsan responded that the rate of the cane will be determined by the sugar cane commissioner.

Dismissing the objections raised by the farmers, Justice Nisar cautioned them against becoming someone else’s “mouthpiece”.

“We (the court) gave relief to the cane growers and stopped sugar mills from illegal operations as well,” the CJP announced. He further said that he will listen to cane growers’ arguments only when he is sure of their “sincerity”.

“Don’t lie to Baba Rehmat. A weak CJP is blind and deaf whose eyes and ears are shut but I am aware of what’s happening around. I know on whose insistence the farmers’ have showed up in court,” remarked the CJP.

In its observation, the SC said that Sharif mills’ transfer, including four mills, has been postponed for three months. After the hearing, the farmers stopped Jahangir Tareen and complained that it’s because of him that the farmers are not getting the right rate of sugarcane. Tareen responded that his sugar mills are buying sugarcane on government prices, the Punjab chief minister is responsible for the rest of mills.

The hearing was adjourned until April 18. The CJP said that he will listen to further objections in his chamber.