Islamabad residents to be preferred for lower grade government jobs

Summary sent to PM for implementing 100% local hiring rule for federal capital

ISLAMABAD: There was good news for the residents of Islamabad as the secretary establishment division has agreed to send a summary to the prime minister for approving hiring only locals in the lower category government jobs in the federal capital.

Speaking at the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat meeting, Secretary Establishment Division Ijaz Munir said that according to the rules, government departments are bound to hire local people for lower grades.

“Government institutions, wherever located, should hire 100% locals,” he told the meeting chaired by National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat Chairman MNA Ali Nawaz Awan.

These rules are in place all over the country but owing to the court’s order, the appointments in Islamabad have been restricted to 20%.

Regarding the recommendation for separating the quota for the employees and citizens of the Islamabad in the employments, he said that according to the rules, the locals of Islamabad can also be given jobs and these rules are in place all over the country.

These rules were in place in Islamabad till 1952 but owing to protest in the Senate, advice was summoned from the four provinces, but only Sindh had proposed making the quota of Islamabad 50% but it could not be implemented.

Secretary establishment said that even though the rule to appoint 100% locals is still in place but a summary needs to be sent to the PM to implement it. PM’s advisor for establishment division Arbab Shahzad said that the summary will be sent to the PM based in the committee’s meeting minutes so that the rule in place in other parts of the country can be put into effect in Islamabad also.

Asad Umar said that when a law was present to appoint 100% locals in all jobs then why was this not implemented in Islamabad as they should be given this right.

Member committee Khurram Shahzad said that outsiders were being posted on the quite allocated for Islamabad. People who have come from faraway places change their address to Islamabad and get appointed.

Convener Ali Nawaz Awan said that during the former federal minister Akram Durrani tenure fake domiciles were made to give jobs to non-locals of Islamabad. Durrani made domiciles overnight and posted people of Bannu in Islamabad. He said that we have to take answers on this issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2019.