ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday accused the government of backtracking on its commitments by ordering the closure of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC), saying the decision would deprive millions of families of essential relief at a time of crisis.
Speaking at a joint press conference with party leader Nadeem Afzal Chan, senior PPP figure Chaudhry Manzoor said the government had promised on the floor of the National Assembly that the stores would not be closed, yet went ahead with the move.
“The government shuts down institutions first and thinks later. The steel mills were shut down, thousands lost their jobs, and no one looked back. Now the same is being done with Utility Stores,” Manzoor remarked.
He stressed that the stores could have played a vital role in providing relief supplies to flood-hit areas. The leader said that Utility Stores were established by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as a vital facility for low-income groups, adding that at a time when inflation is at its peak, their closure amounts to “sheer hostility towards the poor.” Chaudhry Manzoor rejected the government’s Rs19 billion package as “a cruel joke,” saying the amount was equivalent to the value of just one plaza of the Utility Stores Corporation.
“Instead of providing relief, the government has rubbed salt into the wounds of the masses,” he remarked. Nadeem Afzal Chan said institutions were not being closed due to corruption but to serve vested interests.
“Millions of people are directly or indirectly linked with Utility Stores for their livelihood. Shutting them down is unjust,” he said, adding that the PPP stood firmly with flood victims and urged the government to utilise existing data to immediately extend support.
He announced that the PPP would table a bill in the National Assembly to legally protect the existence of Utility Stores and ensure their restoration.
Nadeem Afzal Chan said the closure would deprive millions of low-income families of affordable essential commodities.
Chan claimed, “Utility Stores are not in deficit because of operations, but due to officials who pocketed benefits such as multiple plots.”
Turning to the devastation caused by recent floods, Chan said alleged corruption in the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) had aggravated the situation. He criticised the government’s pay raise policies, noting disparity between senior officials and ordinary employees.
“The salaries of Cabinet members and judges had increased by 200 percent, while other employees were granted only a 20 percent raise,” Chan remarked. The PPP demanded that the affected regions be immediately declared calamity-hit areas and that cash transfers be made to victims on the basis of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Nadra data to help families purchase food for themselves and fodder for their livestock.
Reiterating its commitment, the PPP vowed to continue raising its voice for the protection of people’s rights. The party pledged to take all possible legal, political, and public initiatives for the revival of Utility Stores and urgent assistance to flood-affected citizens. The PPP leaders demanded immediate relief for flood victims, strict accountability of those involved in corruption, and reversal of the decision to shut down Utility Stores.