PTI-led Punjab Government gave a subsidy of 2.4 billion rupees to the sugar industry as compared to a subsidy of 29 billion rupees was given to the sugar industry in the last five years.
According to Radio Pakistan, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Accountability Shahzad Akbar says a subsidy of 29 billion rupees was given to the sugar industry in the last five years in contrary to the subsidy of just 2.4 billion rupees by the PTI-led Punjab Government.
He was speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon and said PTI-led federal government has never given any kind of subsidy and only allowed export of surplus sugar.
He said previous government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz granted 26.6 billion rupees. He said former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, alone, had given a subsidy of 20 billion rupees on the influence of Salman Shahbaz.
Shahzad Akbar said Sindh Government run by PPP was too not far behind in granting a subsidy to the sugar cartels. He said Sindh government granted a subsidy of 4.12 billion rupees of which Omni Group was the biggest beneficiary.
The Special Assistant said opposition parties, especially spokespersons of PML-N are misinterpreting the sugar inquiry report, who needs to study the lengthy document again.
He said sugar report has given comprehensive findings and found regulator guilty of not checking the wrongdoings in export of sugar and granting subsidy without calculating cost of production and due diligence.
Shahzad Akbar maintained that Prime Minister Imran Khan has fulfilled his promise by constituting the sugar commission and making its report public.
He said everyone will be held responsible, who harms public interest through political maneuvering or other influences.
To a question, the SAPM stressed the need for overhauling the regulators to check such kind of illegality.
