Utility Stores employees protest in Islamabad continues for 3rd day

Islamabad: The protest by employees against the potential closure of Utility Stores in Islamabad entered its third day, with demonstrators staging a sit-in at D-Chowk in the federal capital.

For the third consecutive day, employees have been protesting in Islamabad against the possible shutdown of Utility Stores. The employees, who had been demonstrating outside the Utility Stores head office for three days, moved to D-Chowk to continue their sit-in, demanding the acceptance of their demands.

To handle any untoward incidents, a large contingent of police has been deployed at D-Chowk, along with water cannons, armored vehicles, and prisoner vans.

The protesters declared that they would protest at every level against the government’s unfair and illegal decision to shut down Utility Stores Corporation.

They further stated that the protest would continue until the decision to close Utility Stores Corporation is revoked.

Meanwhile, the accounts of Utility Stores Corporation have been frozen, leading to the bouncing of checks issued by the corporation. These actions are part of the government’s plan to shut down Utility Stores Corporation.

Yesterday, the Lahore High Court, while hearing a petition against the closure of Utility Stores nationwide, sought a response from the federal government and others by September 4.

It is noteworthy that on August 16, in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, the federal government decided to close 28 departments under five ministries to reduce administrative expenses and streamline state machinery.

Following this decision, the federal government announced the closure of Utility Stores Corporation and halted the 50 billion rupee subsidy allocated for Utility Stores.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, stated that the restructuring of Utility Stores is being done to simplify the tax system to restore investors' confidence and benefit the public.

The federal minister added that there had been complaints that the benefits of subsidies were not fully reaching the public. Some employees and officials were allegedly involved in misappropriating subsidies, making reforms necessary to ensure that subsidies reach the deserving.