Sugar Shortage Hits Islamabad as Dealers Blame Price Disputes and Market Crackdown

Islamabad:A severe sugar shortage has gripped the capital city, forcing residents to roam market to market in search of the essential commodity. Shopkeepers across Islamabad report an acute lack of sugar in retail outlets, attributing the crisis to government pricing pressures and enforcement crackdowns.

Retailers say the **official price** of sugar is fixed at **Rs. 172 per kg**, but the **wholesale market rates** have surged to **Rs. 178–188 per kg**, making it unfeasible for them to sell at the mandated rate. Many traders, frustrated by ongoing **arrests and harassment by price magistrates**, have stopped stocking sugar altogether.

Citizens expressed outrage, questioning how a country self-sufficient in sugar production could suffer from such basic shortages. “If sugar is not available in a sugar-producing country, what can we expect about other commodities?” one resident lamented.

**Sugar dealers** claim that **sugar mills have halted supply**, citing a pending agreement with the government to fix the **ex-mill price at Rs. 165 per kg**. However, sugar mills have **denied** these allegations and say they are not withholding supply.

In response to the deepening crisis and ongoing **investigations against sugar exporters and dealers**, the government has convened an emergency meeting today with the **Sugar Mills Association**, chaired by **Federal Minister Rana Tanveer**. The meeting aims to enforce the agreement and ensure sugar is made available to the public at affordable rates.

Under the proposed agreement, from **August 1**, the **ex-mill sugar price** is to be set between **Rs. 165–167 per kg**. Meanwhile, the government has also started placing the names of exporters involved in sugar exports last December on the **Exit Control List (ECL)**, signaling stricter accountability measures to prevent hoarding and price manipulation.