On Friday, Dr Hanif Mughal, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW), said that the crackdown against the sugar and dollar mafia is highly laudable. He said actions are being taken against sugar hoarders and smugglers, wholesalers and distributors are continuously monitored, but sugar mills are not being raided. The beginning of the sugar crisis is from the sugar mills, so they should not be spared; otherwise, questions will arise in the people’s minds, he added.

Dr Hanif Mughal said in a statement that in addition to the weak, the powerful should also be held accountable, and all food businesses should be strictly monitored to protect the public and dispel the impression that no government can control the shopkeepers.

He said that, like in developed countries, all businesses should be closed at sunset to reduce the oil import bill by billions of dollars. If doing business until late at night brought prosperity, then Pakistan would have been the richest country in the world.

He said that the transit trade agreement with Afghanistan has become a big problem for Pakistan and has to be gotten rid of to stabilise the economy.

Hanid Mughal demanded that action be initiated against tax evasion and drug trade as different mafias are hurting the country’s economy.

The illegal supply of Iranian POL products alone causes an annual loss of at least Rs225 billion to the national exchequer. Smuggled Iranian oil is usually sold at illegal roadside gasoline outlets but has reached regular filling stations.