ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (INP): Employees of utility store outlets continued sit-in against proposed privatization of the corporation on the consecutive fourth day at D-Chowk here on Thursday

According to details, several employees of the country’s biggest state-run retail chain have gathered in D-Chowk from all over Pakistan for the fulfillment of their demand for permanent contracts and for likely closure of the stores.

The protesters said that they will not call off the sit-in until the authorities concerned fulfill their demands. They also demanded to withdraw the plan of privatizing utility stores and to clear their outstanding payments.

[timed-content-server show="10/26/2018 01:00 Asia/Karachi"]While chanting slogans, the protesting employees said that the government is not providing relief to the poverty-stricken people. The employees of the Corporation are urging the government to settle Rs 27.6 billion worth of its subsidy claims which are pending over the last seven years creating a financial crunch for the corporation, leading to its possible closure. The employees have made it clear that they will continue to protest until all their demands are fulfilled including the permanent employment one. Meanwhile, police officers have blocked the road heading to Parliament House in order to maintain law and order situation in the federal capital. Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Political Affairs, Naeemul Haque tweeted earlier on Tuesday that all the demands made by utility stores employees seem equitable and acceptable to the government. In his tweet, Haque said that PPP and PML-N had destroyed utility stores and made it bankrupt in the last 10 years. Further, he added that these two parties were “now trying to incite some miscreants.” INP/AJ[/timed-content-server]