Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday approved a summary to ban sugar exports.

The move comes in the wake of shortfall in demand and supply of the sugar in the country. With this decision the export of 350,000 tons of sugar will be halted.

The summary, after approval from the prime minister, has been forwarded to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

The price of sugar, an essential ingredient in Pakistani cuisine, witnessed 10 rupees per kilogram hike in a week recently, the wholesale rate of the commodity rose from Rs64 to Rs74 per kg and an acute shortage of the commodity surfaced across the country.

Earlier, a petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court seeking forensic audit of sugar stocks in sugar mills. “The sugar mills have failed to submit details of their stocks in court, despite the court order,” said the petition.