CHARSADDA: Awami National Party (ANP) president Aimal Wali Khan has termed the closer of utility stores as a ‘stupid and cruel’ decision.

In a statement issued from Wali Bagh here on Saturday, ANP chief said that instead of eliminating the poverty in the country, the federal government was bent on eliminating the poor.

The statement said that the present government came into power with the mission of starving the masses. Rejecting federal government’s decision to close utility stores in the country, ANP president said that these stores were the only source of relief for the poor people in this era of inflation.

“The livelihood of thousands of people is connected with the Utility Stores Corporation,” he said, adding, instead of reducing government spending, people were being made a scapegoat.

ANP president further said that economy could never be improved with the negative decisions.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2024