ISLAMABAD: The Sugar Inquiry Commission team’s of around 100 officers comprising different departments/organisations are reportedly living in miserable conditions in Lahore, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

The teams which have gathered record/documents from around 10 mills in different districts have not been provided sufficient facilities for stay in Lahore as hostels of Chanba House and Federal Lodges are closed due to which the team members are bound to live in groups of 5-6 in one room without any protective measures at a time when COVID-19 epidemic cases are rising in Lahore. Each team comprises of 10 officials.

“The Sugar Inquiry Commission teams are living like animals in rooms,” the sources said, adding that two members of teams have been recalled after they got ill. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Director General FIA, Wajid Zia met a top man of the government seeking permission to withhold inquiry until COVID -19 situation improves but his request was turned down the top man wanted the inquiry should be completed within prescribed period of two months.

The Inquiry teams comprising officials of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Anti Corruption Establishment (Punjab), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan( SECP) , State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) are probing mills’ records in addition to records of wholesale dealers to compile their reports.

The teams have found some discrepancies in the records of few selected mills and wholesale dealers.—MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN