Islamabad [Pakistan], November 9 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to put up the entire sugar stock for sale in the market amid the sugar price crisis in the country, local media reported.

During a meeting chaired by Imran Khan on price control on Monday, he took the decision to start sugarcane crushing across the country from November 15, Geo TV reported.

The Prime Minister claimed his government is taking all possible steps to reduce the burden on the poor and has introduced several schemes, including the Ehsas Ration programme, Kamyab Pakistan programme, Kissan Card, and other programmes.

Earlier on Friday, Imran Khan blamed that country’s province Sindh shutting down three mills all of a sudden contributed to the record hike in sugar price.

“The price of sugar in Pakistan has hit Rs 140 per kg. I inquired why this was so. I learnt that three sugar mills in Sindh which were operational were shut down”, Geo News had reported quoting him.

The prices of sugar in Pakistan zoomed past the prices of petrol on Thursday.

Despite the government’s assurances of working to curb the prices of essential items in the country, sugar is being sold as high as Rs 150 per kg in different cities while petrol is currently being sold at Rs 138.30 per litre in the country, reported Geo News.

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for selling sugar “off-books”, which was discovered by the Sugar Commission that conducted a probe into the country’s recent sugar crisis, reported Geo News.

This comes after Imran Khan on Wednesday announced “country’s biggest-ever” subsidy package worth Rs 120 billion, providing 30 per cent discount on ghee, flour and pulses to support 130 million people by ebbing away from the impact of inflation. (ANI)