PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to terminate thousands of employees hired during the caretaker administration, following the passage of a bill by the provincial assembly with a majority vote. The bill applies to employees recruited between January 22, 2023, and February 29, 2024.
According to the text of the bill, recruitments made through the Public Service Commission, including those under the minority and quota system, will be exempt. However, the decision is expected to affect over 9,000 employees across the province, many of whom have threatened protests in response.
Documents received by TNN reveal that data on 9,762 employees recruited during the caretaker tenure has been compiled so far. The highest number of illegal appointments was recorded in the police department, with 4,019 employees hired unlawfully.
The elementary and secondary education department ranks second, with 2,323 recruitments, followed by the higher education department, where 702 employees were recruited.
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Other departments that saw recruitments during the caretaker period include:
On Tuesday, the KP assembly formally passed the law to remove these employees from their positions.
Senior legal expert Fazal Shah Mohmand stated that these appointments were unlawful and allegedly based on favoritism. Under the law, the caretaker government is only authorized to manage day-to-day affairs and ensure free and fair elections at the provincial or federal level. The Election Act prohibits hiring or dismissing employees during this period.
Mohmand emphasized that only an elected government can recruit employees, and the caretaker administration was not legally empowered to make such appointments. He added that affected employees could challenge the decision in court, which has the power to scrutinize or even reject the bill.
Senior journalist Muhammad Faheem welcomed the move, stating that the government rightly passed a bill to remove unlawfully hired employees. He reiterated that the caretaker government lacked the mandate to make these appointments and that the new law covers key legal aspects.
However, Faheem also pointed out that employees hired for posts advertised before the caretaker period, those who passed tests or interviews earlier, and those appointed under the Public Service Commission, minority, or quota system, would not be affected. He further suggested that the government hold the departments that carried out these illegal recruitments accountable since the bureaucracy was also complicit.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Aftab Alam stated that several meetings were held regarding the issue, but officials failed to provide the exact number of recruitments. "So far, records indicate that 9,762 individuals were hired, and we are dismissing around 2,500 to 3,000 employees who were illegally recruited," he added.
Opposition lawmaker Ahmad Kundi criticized the government's decision, arguing that instead of providing jobs, the current administration is taking away employment opportunities. He insisted that those responsible for making these illegal appointments should be punished rather than dismissed workers.
On the other hand, affected employees have threatened protests and are preparing to take legal action against the decision.
As per the bill, all departments must submit a detailed report on caretaker-period recruitments within 30 days, after which relevant authorities will issue formal notifications. A six-member committee, led by the Secretary of Establishment, will review any legal complexities arising from the implementation of the bill. The committee will also include representatives from the Advocate General's Office, Finance Department, Administration, and other relevant institutions.
