TIMERGARA: The Utility Stores Corporation’s franchise dealers in Malakand division on Saturday demanded of the government and minister of industries and production to resume supply to their outlets in all districts of Malakand.

The demand was made during a meeting of the USC franchise dealers from Lower and Upper Dir, Swat and Malakand region with their divisional president Ikramullah in the chair.

Speaking on the occasion, Ikramullah, general secretary Sajjad Mohammad, Umar Ghani, Hazrat Rahim, Sajid Khan and others said that about 40 outlets of USC were operating in Malakand division.

They said that after the government’s decision of suspending operations the USC warehouses at Balambat, Rahimabad and Chitral had no commodities for supply to them. They said that the USC outlets were profitable places that bought commodities after submitting bank draft. They said that thousands of consumers benefited from these outlets, but the government halted all kinds of procurement resulting in joblessness of many youth.

The participants said that the government should improve the services of USC. They said that people from low-income class were buying daily use items from the outlets on subsidized rates.

The meeting demanded of the government to reverse the decision of suspending operations at USC outlets.

REFERENCE: The Muslim Lawyers Forum, Lower Dir, arranged a reference to condole the death of former first lady Begum Kulsoom Nawaz here on Saturday. The lawyers and workers of PML-N attended the reference.

Speaking on the occasion, district bar president Hidayat Yar Bukhari, People Lawyers Forum president Mohammad Salim and others expressed sorrow over the death of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz and termed it a great loss for democracy.

They said that Kulsoom Nawaz had contributed bravely to the struggle for democracy and led her party at a time when many of its leaders had gone underground.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2018