Peshawar   -  The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday ordered the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and relevant stakeholders to review the current situation and make a decision regarding the ban on the export of surplus sugar from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within two weeks.

The ruling highlighted that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had frequently raised concerns about a sugar shortage in the province, noting a recent price increase of Rs2 per kilogram. The court pointed out the likelihood of a shortage before the next crushing season and expressed concern over the provincial cane commissioner’s failure to adequately present the case to the ECC.

The directive came as the PHC, through a bench comprising Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice Dr. Khursheed Iqbal, announced its reserved verdict on a petition challenging the provincial government’s ban on sugar exports. The court noted that while the federal government has the authority to permit exports, the needs of the province must also be considered.

According to the decision, the federal government and ECC had previously allowed the export of surplus sugar. The court recommended that the provincial government’s concerns be presented to the ECC, which should make a decision within two weeks, ensuring that the province’s needs are addressed.

The court concluded that instead of intervening directly, it was more appropriate to refer the matter back to the ECC for a thorough review. The ruling also emphasized that the recent rise in sugar prices suggests that permitting exports at this time could worsen the supply shortage.

Earlier, the PHC had reserved its decision on the petition challenging the provincial ban on sugar exports. Lawyers representing the petitioners argued that Pakistan is a major sugar producer globally and that the ban imposed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, unlike Punjab and Sindh, had led to significant losses for the sugar industry and deprived the country of valuable foreign exchange.