Red Zone sealed amid Utility Stores employees sit-in over USCs closure

ISLAMABAD: Utility Stores employees have announced a protest in Islamabad today against the government’s decision to close the stores across the country, which has led authorities to seal the high-security Red Zone.

Utility Stores Corporation (USC) union secretary general said they would stage a sit-in at the D-Chowk in the federal capital on Monday and will strongly resist the potential closure of the stores.

The decision came after the Shehbaz-led government decided to shut down utility stores and discontinue subsidies.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP) had stated that the government was considering closing all Utility Stores as part of the rightsizing of federal government ministries, as well as institutions working under them.

However, Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain dismissed the notion that the utility stores are being closed, insisting that the government plans to “restructure” the corporation.

“The impression that utility stores are being shut down is incorrect. The USC is being restructured to ensure that only deserving people receive relief and price discounts on ess­e­ntial food items and groceries,” the minister said to the media.