Govt decides to amend recruitment policy

It will tackle pending cases of 4,000 contract employees

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to amend the recruitment policy to decide the fate of 4,000 employees whose cases for regularisation were initiated by the previous PPP government.

In this regard, the necessary amendment to the recruitment policy/mechanism to ensure merit-based inductions was made by the federal cabinet in its meeting held on April 12.

According to the Establishment Division, the federal cabinet in its meeting held on June 4, 2008, had decided in principle to regularise all those employees on contracts from BS-1 to BS-15 in federal ministries, divisions, subordinate offices, autonomous bodies, corporations and authorities who were appointed up to June 3, 2008.



The recommendations of the cabinet subcommittee on regularisation of contractual employees in the federal government headed by Khursheed Shah, the then minister for religious affairs, were approved by the cabinet and issued by the Establishment Division as guidelines for compliance.

The cabinet was further informed by the division –- the body that notifies permanent appointments -- that on the directives of the Islamabad High Court, another committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Haseeb Akhar, presently secretary to the federal education and professional training division, to consider the cases related to regularisation of services of contract, contingent paid, daily wage and project employees.

The committee had examined around 4,000 cases and made recommendations according to its mandate, the division said.

The federal cabinet was informed that despite working of the committee, the spate of litigation cases had not abated, putting enormous burden on courts as well as the government machinery.

The Establishment Division further informed the cabinet that it would be appropriate to revise the existing recruitment policy and mechanism in order to address the issues of different types of contract, contingent paid, daily wage and project employees, seeking regular appointment.



It proposed that all those employees who have rendered a minimum of one-year service in continuity as on January 1, 2017, may apply for appointment on the regular basis “provided that the condition of continuity shall not be applicable in case of employees on daily wages who have completed at least 365 days service”.

“For initial appointment to posts in BS-16 and above, the employees shall apply directly to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) against relevant and suitable vacancies.

“For initial appointments to posts in BS-1 to BS-15, eligible employees shall be awarded extra marks in interview at the rate of one mark for each year of the service rendered up to a maximum five marks on the recommendations of respective selection authorities.

“These employees shall be excluded for the purpose of determination of the upper age limit in addition to relaxation of the upper age limit as per existing rules,” the Establishment Division said.

After holding detailed discussion, the federal cabinet approved the amendment to the recruitment policy subject to consultation with the FPSC.