Traders in Balochistan Protest Ban on Affordable Sugar, Forced to Buy Expensive Imported Stock

**Quetta:** The Balochistan Traders Association has raised serious concerns over the ongoing ban on locally produced affordable sugar, which is forcing traders and consumers to purchase expensive imported sugar. Association officials, including Rahim Agha, Wali Afghan Tarin, Haji Nasiruddin Kakr, and others, warned that this practice is placing an undue financial burden on the people of Balochistan.

According to the traders, the federal government has allowed a favored individual to import sugar under the “Al Khaleej” brand from Dubai, priced at PKR 9,000 per bag, while locally produced sugar is available at PKR 7,000 per bag. Despite the availability of cheaper local sugar, dealers in Balochistan are being prevented from loading and distributing it, compelling them to sell the costly imported sugar.

The traders alleged that the silence and alleged collusion of the Department of Industries and higher authorities have exacerbated the problem, leaving ordinary citizens to bear the burden of inflated prices. They called on the Army Chief and the Prime Minister to immediately lift restrictions on local sugar to ensure affordable access for the people of Balochistan.

The association also warned that if authorities attempt to seize locally produced sugar from shops, they will launch a province-wide protest movement. Officials criticized the government for favoring a single individual while forcing the public and business community to buy overpriced imported sugar, calling the situation “utterly unjust.”