ISLAMABAD: It was 2020 when a number of complainants of non- payment of sugarcane produce by sugar millers approached directly to prime minister, Imran Khan. Since,
it was a simple math and almost a case known to everyone that sugar barons, with an exception of a few, mostly having political clout do not pay to the growers, the prime minister, issued a directive to his Wasim Akram plus, chief minister Usman Buzdar, to immediately issue an ordinance to put in place a legal framework to make sure that the growers get rightful payments of produce in time.
An ordinance was issued having a sting for sugar batons that an act of non-payment to the growers will be a non-bail able offence. This string worked as a .threat to create fear among sugar barons ,that non-payment to the growers could result in their arrest.
The move worked well and a good percentage of the millers made payments to the growers in 2020 . The growers thought their bad days were over and now onward they will get in time payment of their produce from the millers. Alas their hope of good days, dashed down when Imran Khan’s Wasim Akram Plus dodged his Captain…by getting approved an ordinance from Punjab assembly which does not include provision of non-bail able offence over non payment to the growers.
Rather, the law made by Punjab assembly turned table on the growers as it carried a new provision that the millers will not be liable to make payments to the growers of produce before June 30.
Deletion of the provision of non- bail able office from the Act approved by the Punjab assembly had provided desired protection to the sugar batons, besides putting the growers at total disadvantage . Not only this, Punjab assembly granted a new license to the millers by adding a new section in the law of granting permission to the millers to holdback payments of the growers till June 30. It was unbelievable that Punjab assembly which was being directly ‘looked after’ by the Caption himself could dodge him so bluntly.
When the new law was formally notified and it reached to the farmers they again rushed to the prime minister to seek reversal of the law passed by Punjab assembly introduced to basically provide protection to the sugar barons.
On hearing, the prime minister too could not believe it that Punjab assembly could go against his instructions to protect the sugar lobby of the province. He summoned his apparently innocent looking Wasim Akram Plus for explanation.
The explanation was even more disturbing for the Caption. He go to know during one- on- one explanation with his Wasim Akram Plus that one evening Chaudhary Pervez Elahi …speaker Punjab assembly, summoned the staff of the assembly at his residence in Lahore to dictate the draft and next morning the same draft of the act without a provision that an act of non-payment would be a non- bail able office was presented in the assembly and passed without even knowledge of any member of the Punjab assembly.
The explanation also confirmed that even Wasim Akram Plus was not aware of what was included or excluded by Chaudhary Pervez Elahi in the approved act.
This detail is an indication as to how powerful Wasim Akram Plus was as a chief minister of Pakistan’s largest province and how powerful sugar mafia in fact was and how it operates when it comes to protect its interest.
Since Chaudharys are an integral part of Imran Khan’s otherwise fragile government in the Centre. He too might have avoided to confront Chaudhary Pervez Elahi on the issue. He, however, sent Usman Buzdar back to Lahore after his bashing that he should take immediate steps to delete the newly approved Sugar Act and pass a new one again as per his instructions with having provision that can ensure timely payments to the growers.
This time too prime minister Imran Khan stood cheated. His Wasim Akram Plus has got passed the Sugar Factories Control Act 2021 from the assembly without that provision of non-payments to the growers would be a non-bail able office that could lead to arrest of the sugar factory owner.
A representative of growers body expressed dismay that Punjab assembly did not act as per direction of the prime minister to safeguard interest of the growers in this case.
“No one can believe that the chief minister of the same party which rules in the Centre could dodge the prime minister on a key issue of payment to the sugarcane growers”, the farmers representative said on the issue requesting not to be named in the story .