The Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) will launch a new proceedings in the Sugar Cartail case, which has previously been charged with manipulation of prices by sugar mills.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has returned the long -running sugar cartel case to the cat for fresh action, which has directed the tribunal to decide the matter after giving all the right to the hearing to all parties.
The decision came in response to appeals filed against the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and others’ decision, which rejected the use of the chairperson of the Casting Vote Competition Commission (CCP) in the deputy.
In a detailed order of Justice Shakeel Ahmed, the Supreme Court upheld the tribunal’s enthusiasm that the CCP chairperson could not use the casting vote in the semi-judicial affairs, such use does not contradict Article 10-A of the Constitution, which guarantees a fair case.
However, the Supreme Court placed the cat’s direction for an exercise by the CCP chairperson or another member, and instead ordered the tribunal to listen to and decide the apartments within 90 days.
The judicial hero, which allows Section 24 (5) of the Competition Act, which allows the casting vote, applies only to the commission’s administrative or internal affairs, not to its judicial possibilities.
The sugar cartel case began in 2020 with the CCP inquiry into the increase in sugar prices. Inquiry has shown that several large sugar mills have formed a cartel and manipulate prices. The Commission has imposed heavy fines worth billions of rupees.
In 2021, a four -member CCP bench decided to distribute: Two members retained the fine, while two did not agree. To break the tie, the chairperson used the casting vote to support the fines.
PSMA and other mills challenged the decision to the cat. In May 2025, the tribunal ruled that the chairperson could not use the casting vote in such a action and could keep the decision aside. Later, both sides appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has now sent the case back to the tribunal for a recent hearing and final decision.