LAHORE   -  The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday suspended a notification by the Punjab Food department for the start of sugarcane crushing season in Punjab. The court also sought reply from Punjab chief secretary, Punjab Food secretary, cane commissioner and other respondents till November 10 while seeking assistance from advocate general Punjab in the matter. Justice Ayesha A Malik passed the orders while hearing petitions filed by 22 sugar mills including Adam Jee Sugar Mills, Hamza Sugar mills. The petitioners’ counsel argued before the court that the Punjab Food department had issued a notification with regard to start of crushing season 2020-21 by virtue of which mills situated in the southern part of the province would commence crushing from November 10 while mills in the rest of Punjab would begin crushing of cane from November 15, 2020. They stated that the sugarcane crop would mature by the end of November and if the crushing season was started earlier then it would cause loss to the growers and millers as less quantity of sugar would be obtained from the crop. The court was requested to suspend operation of the notification till the final decision on the petition and issue directions for the start of crushing season after November 30. The court, after hearing initial arguments of the parties, suspended the notification and sought reply from respondents till November 10.