Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has fixed the retail price of sugar at Rs 163 per kilogram (pkg), assuring that there is neither a sugar shortage nor will there be one.
According to Media Report Ishaq Dar held a special meeting with the sugar mills association and other marketers to control the sugar prices on Wednesday.
Addressing the meeting, Dar clarified that ex-mill prices would range between Rs154 and Rs159, while the retail price must not exceed Rs164 per kg.
“The rising sugar price will not be tolerated at any cost,” he stated, emphasising strict measures to ensure compliance.
However, despite the government’s directives, sugar prices in Karachi have surged again. In Jodia Bazaar, sugar prices increased by Rs 2 per kg, now standing at Rs 163 per kg.
Previously, sugar was being sold at Rs168 per kg, which dropped to Rs161 per kg after the prime minister’s intervention.
FIA launches probe into sugar mafia
Meanwhile, following PM Shehbaz Sharif’s orders, the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle has launched an investigation against the sugar mafia. The FIA has formally sought assistance from the PTA and issued a written request for data.
According to 24NewsHD TV, the FIA has demanded data of 11 individuals, including key sugar mill executives and businessmen, such as Aneeq Faraz, Muhammad Arshad, and Muhammad Anwar.
Sugar exports and price surge exposed
The channel also uncovered details about sugar exports and price hikes under the current government. Between December 2024 and February 2025, Pakistan exported 404,246 metric tonnes of sugar worth Rs58.52 billion, leading to a price increase of Rs23.46 per kg in the domestic market.
As per the key findings from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, in November 2024, sugar’s average price was Rs131.61 per kg; in December 2024, 279,273 tonnes of sugar were exported, worth Rs 40.56 billion, and the domestic price rose by Rs3.23 per kg.
In January 2025, 124,793 tonnes were exported, worth Rs 17.93 billion, so the sugar price jumped by Rs 8.35 per kg. In February 2025, 180 metric tonnes of sugar were exported for Rs2.5 million, causing a Rs11.88 per kg price hike.
Following this uncontrolled surge in sugar prices, the government decided to suspend sugar exports immediately.
