Indian sugar against the import standards of Pakistan

Indian sugar is unfit for human consumption and against the import standards of Pakistan, a report submitted to the Lahore High Court by the Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has said.

Lahore, Sep 25 : Indian sugar is unfit for human consumption and against the import standards of Pakistan, a report submitted to the Lahore High Court by the Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has said.

The PSQCA says ICUMSA (International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis), an element which determines the presence of sulphur's quantity, has been found to be 140 per cent which is way above the permissible limit.

Justice Syed Hamid Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court had ordered a sampling of the sugar following the submission of a petition by the Sawera Group, seeking the release of sugar being kept by the customs for release.

The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA), which sought to become a party to the case, had approached the court.

Fawad Hussain, the PSMA counsel, said the import of substandard sugar was not only a clear violation of the country's trade policy, but also against the interest of Pakistani farmers.

"Dumping of Indian sugar, which is injurious to health, would push sugarcane growers and farmers, sugar industry and public at large towards a disaster," the Dawn quoted him, as saying.

Besides, the import of Indian sugar was a wastage of foreign exchange because it could be manufactured in Pakistan easily," Hussain added.

He said Indian sugar was being imported despite the fact that the PCSIR laboratories had declared presence of 30-mg/kg Sulphur in it in the past.

"Consumption of such a sugar could cause blood related diseases and damage the vital organs of the body," Hussain added.

He said the trade policy clearly laid down that import of goods should be subject to same quality standards required in respect of similarly domestically produced goods.

As Pakistan was the only country, producing A-Class white sugar, all imported sugar should meet the same standard.

He urged the court to restrain authorities concerned from dubbing B-Class sugar as refined sugar.

ANI