Jahangir Tareen, Shehbaz Sharif booked in sugar crisis case

Islamabad: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered two separate FIRs against industrialist and PTI member Jahangir Tareen and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in the sugar crisis case.

Other accused include Tareen’s son Ali Tareen, and Hamza and Suleman Shahbaz, the sons of Shehbaz Sharif.

They were booked on charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, fraud and money laundering. The FIRs were registered at the FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle Lahore.

An inquiry commission made stunning revelations in May about how sugar barons had cheated farmers, benefited from subsidies and created conditions so that the price of sugar would go up. The commission was formed by the PTI government and headed by FIA Director-General Wajid Zia.

Tareen was among those accused of benefitting the most. The report said that six major groups control 51% of the total sugar production and Tareen’s JDW Mill has the biggest share–20% of the total production. His mills made Rs200 billion in three years.

They were also found to be running double books. The mill was underreporting its revenue.

Tareen and his son left Pakistan for London soon after the report was made public. They returned recently, after seven months.

The PTI leader was disqualified from holding public office on January 30, 2018 but remained a senior member of the party.

The JDW Sugar Mills comprises three units, two of which are located in Rahim Yar Khan in south Punjab and one is located in Ghotki, Sindh. It accounts for 17% of the country’s total sugar product.

Suleman Sharif is in London and has not appeared before the FIA despite repeated summons. The Sharifs’ Al Rabia Sugar Mills were also accused of benefitting from the crisis.