Sugar mills seek hearing delay

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has postponed hearings in the sugar cartelisation case involving 79 sugar mills and the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) after a request was made citing the unavailability of legal counsel due to the Supreme Court’s summer recess. The PSMA and its member mills sought rescheduling of the rehearing originally slated for Aug 4-7, arguing that their legal representatives were on leave. The CCP has now fixed the hearings for Sept 22-25, allowing a one-time adjournment in line with directions from the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT), which had earlier instructed the CCP to hold day-to-day proceedings. In a statement, the CCP made it clear that no further delays would be entertained, warning that repeated adjournment requests or non-appearance may result in ex-parte proceedings.