The mechanism for wholesale and retail sugar distribution among sugar mills, brokers, wholesale dealers, and grocery merchants has not yet been established. As a result, sugar has become scarce in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, as well as in Lahore.
Meetings held yesterday in Lahore and Islamabad regarding the issue also remained practically fruitless.
Wholesale sugar supply has been suspended for the past 13 days, causing grocery stores to run out of stock. Those who still have sugar are selling it at Rs. 210 per kilogram in urban areas and Rs. 220 per kilogram in the outskirts.
Grocery merchants have announced that if they are provided sugar at Rs. 165 per kilogram in wholesale, they are willing to sell it at Rs. 173 per kilogram.
On the other hand, the administration has fined 127 shopkeepers over the last 24 hours for overpricing and hoarding sugar. Seven shopkeepers have been arrested, with a total of Rs. 228,000 in fines imposed, and four shops have been sealed.
In Lahore, after large department stores, now sugar has disappeared from neighborhood grocery shops as well.
Sugar is not available at government rates from mill owners, wholesalers, or retailers. Mill owners are blaming wholesalers, while smaller retailers blame the wholesalers as well.
Shopkeepers stated that since the government set official rates, sugar has vanished from the market. They believe that if the government controls the mill owners, sugar can be made available to the public at official prices.
Citizens expressed their frustration, saying sugar has disappeared from the cities, and questioned the presence of government authority.
