Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has rejected former finance minister Miftah Ismail’s criticism of Pakistan’s sugar policy, saying the government’s decisions were based on prevailing market conditions and the need to protect consumers and sugarcane growers.
Tarar said sugar exports in 2024 were allowed because Pakistan had sufficient surplus stocks and were carried out without government subsidies. He added that sugar imports were later permitted after a decline in sugarcane production created concerns about domestic supply.
The minister also defended the government’s decision to re-export around 100,000 tonnes of surplus sugar from previous imports after market conditions stabilised. Meanwhile, Miftah Ismail has questioned the sequence of exporting sugar, importing it during shortages and subsequently re-exporting surplus stocks.
The disagreement has renewed debate over Pakistan’s sugar prices, government policy, imports, exports and the role of state institutions in managing the sugar market.
