LAHORE - Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) Khawaja Muhammad Sharif has called for report and comments from the federal and provincial governments and sugar mills associations by September 3 in a suo moto proceeding initiated against the prevailing sugar crisis. The chief justice also sought reply from respondents on a petition filed by Shafqat Chohan Advocate on the same matter. Earlier, Chairman Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) Saeed Ahmed Khan informed the court that sugar price for the utility stores had been fixed at Rs38 per kg for next three months and said there was enough sugar stock in the country for the consumption up to next crushing season. The court observed the mills owners, stockist and traders were responsible for the crisis and asked the law officer to get information about the sugar price fixation and inform the court why sugar was being sold at Rs 49 per kg even after announcing the rate of Rs 40. The court also asked the TCP to release their stocks to overcome the sugar crisis in the province. The chairman TCP said the cooperation never takes any action without prior permission of the federal government, adding that the federal government had asked TCP in last February to import sugar but later on stopped any further action. Therefore, the corporation cancelled the tenders called for this purpose. He said the sugar crisis was a worldwide phenomenon as India was also facing sugar crisis and importing 5 million tons. It was the main reasons why the sugar millers and others stocked the produce to earn more. The law officer informed the court that after last crushing season, 16 out of 45 sugar mills had demanded a per kg price of Rs 33.06. He said the provincial government had asked the federal government to take strict action; otherwise, it would be difficult and the same happened. He said the government had reduced the GST to fifty per cent and was also subsiding sugar for the consumers. The court observed why the government had not cancelled the tax on sugar instead of subsidising the sugar price and called report and comments from the two respondent governments.