ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has offered reassurance to protesting employees, guaranteeing that the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) will not be shut down.
Rana Sanaullah’s assurance came during a late Wednesday meeting with a delegation from the USC, including the Utility Stores CBA Union General Secretary Raja Miskeen. The USC employees have been demonstrating at D-Chowk since August 26, in response to the federal cabinet’s announcement of plans to close the USC. Despite this, Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain had stated that the USC was only set for restructuring, not closure.
The USC, established in 1971, operates 4,000 stores across the country and provides essential goods at subsidized prices. It is one of several state-owned entities the government is considering closing.
Earlier in the day, representatives from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), including Nafisa Shah, Agha Rafiullah, Mir Aijaz Jhakrani, and Chaudhry Manzoor, visited the protest camp to show their support. They emphasized the USC’s historical significance and pledged to address the issue in parliament.
A Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) delegation, led by Sheikh Waqas Akram and Khawaja Sheeraz, also visited the camp and condemned the government’s decision.
In addition, Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak-PWD) employees protested against the planned closure of their department, blocking Srinagar Highway for several hours. The federal cabinet had approved the Pak-PWD’s dissolution on July 10. As part of a broader rightsizing plan, other departments, including the National IT Board (NITB), are also slated for closure. The NITB manages digital services for government offices and oversees the e-office program.
