ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, clarified on Wednesday that the government has no intention of closing Utility Stores, but rather plans to restructure them.
In response to concerns raised by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Hussain emphasized, “We are restructuring, not shutting down, the Utility Stores. Political appointments were made in these stores in the past.”
The minister assured that the jobs of regular employees at Utility Stores remain secure.
He explained that while the stores were initially set up to provide affordable daily essentials to the public, many were opened in locations driven by political factors.
PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had earlier raised the issue in the National Assembly, recalling the minister’s previous assurances that the stores would not be closed. Ashraf also mentioned discussions in the relevant parliamentary committee, where all political parties had unanimously agreed to keep the stores operational, highlighting the importance of these stores for thousands of employees’ livelihoods.
