Shaukat Yousafzai, a former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister and PTI leader, encountered a travel issue at Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar.
He was prevented from flying to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, with the reasons for this restriction remaining undisclosed. Despite having clearance from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other institutions, Yousafzai was offloaded.
Expressing confusion, he questioned why the hindrance occurred after the clearance process and emphasized that neither his name is on the Exit Control List (ECL) nor is there any FIR registered against him.
Yousafzai, known for respecting state institutions and engaging in politics within democratic norms, stated that his boarding pass was confiscated. Born on February 1, 1963, he served as a PTI member in the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from October 2018 to January 2023 and held positions such as minister for health and information in the Pervez Khattak administration.
Caretaker Government Postpones Sugar Export, Seeks Transparency In Stock Details
Meanwhile, the decision to export 250,000 metric tons of sugar has been postponed by the caretaker government. Caretaker Industries and Production Minister Dr. Gohar Ijaz chaired a meeting of the Sugar Advisory Board (SAB) to discuss the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association’s (PSMA) request to export excess sugar.
Sugar mill owners, during the meeting, requested permission to export 250,000 metric tons of surplus sugar.
The advisory board, deferring the decision until Thursday, instructed sugar mill owners to provide details of their sugar stock by the next meeting. The PSMA claimed to have 1.13 million metric tons of sugar in stock, exceeding the country’s annual requirement of approximately 0.7 million metric tons.
It is noteworthy that sugar exports in FY23 amounted to 215,751 tonnes, generating $104 million, compared to no exports in FY22. Exports in the July-September quarter of 2023-24 were 35,102 tonnes, earning $21 million, as opposed to zero exports in the corresponding quarter of FY23.
