The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has announced plans to terminate thousands of employees hired during the tenure of the previous caretaker government, citing unconstitutional recruitment practices.
Provincial Minister for Law, Aftab Alam Afridi, revealed that the caretaker government had overstepped its legal boundaries. “The caretaker government acted unlawfully by engaging in unconstitutional practices. According to both the Constitution and the Election Act, the caretaker government is not authorised to make new recruitments,” Afridi said in a statement.
Afridi added that legislation is being drafted to remove all employees hired during the caretaker period. “Different departments concealed the actual number of hires by providing false figures,” he explained.
Initially, bureaucracy reported 1,800 employees, but after further scrutiny, it was revealed that the actual number approached 6,000. Recruitment data collected from various departments showed that most appointments occurred in the health, education, IT, and irrigation sectors.
Some recruits had submitted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from Directors General, while others lacked any official documentation. Minister Afridi confirmed that many appointments were unnecessary and illegal, having been made without proper authorization during the caretaker regime.
He also mentioned that the issue had been raised in the provincial assembly and cabinet meetings. Once all departments submit their detailed reports, a summary will be forwarded to the chief minister for final approval.
