Utility stores employees call off protest on govt assurance

Protesters warn that they would gather at D Chowk if govt did not accept their demands within a few days.

ISLAMABAD: The employees of the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan have called off their protest in Islamabad.

The protest was held after the federal government announced that it was going to close all the utility stores across the country. The closure of the utility stores would render more than 11000 employees jobless.

Soon after the announcement by the government, the employees of the stores from across the country announced to march on the federal capital to protest the government move and force it to withdraw the decision.

Thousands of employees gathered in Islamabad and staged a sit-in. However, the government held talks with the representatives of the protesters and assured them that with the closure on the utility stores they would not be made jobless, rather they would be accommodated in other departments.

The protesters then announced to call off the protest but warned the government that if their demands were not met by coming Monday, they would again gather in Islamabad and stage a sit-in at D. Chowk near Parliament House.

The federal government has decided to close or merge at least 40 departments and organisations in a bid to minimize expenditures. There are over 11000 workers in the utility stores corporation and 6000 of them are permanent employees.

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