LAHORE, Jan 6; The All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions and Punjab Co-op Employees Union staged a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club here on Friday to protest against the closure of Co-op Stores Supermarket for lease of its land to the Punjab Information Technology Board.

Speaking on the occasion, APFTU’s Punjab Secretary-General Gulzar Ahmed Chaudhry and Union President Manzoor Ahmed said that the government was doling out 32 kanals of prime Co-op Head Office and Supermarket land on Main Ferozepur Road on lease for only Rs2.2 million where as it was receiving an equal amount in the form of rent for 10.5 kanal area from the same land. The rent of 32 kanals area worked out at Rs6.7 million which would also increase every year under the law.

They said that that doling out of the Co-op land would not only result in the closure of the Co-op Supermarket selling consumer goods to the general public at fair prices but also render its 100 employees jobless.

Working Women Organization President Rubina Jamil said that the government should review the decision to dole out the Co-op land to the Punjab Information Technology Board and utilize it for building Co-op Complex instead. She said that at least five kanals land should be used for running the Co-op Store at the existing site.