Punjab govt abolishes Grades 1-4 posts

In a major policy decision, the Punjab government has abolished all Grade 1-4 posts that were lying vacant since last year.

According to sources, all the approved positions have also been ruled null and void.

In this regard, the secretariats of all government departments have received an official circular from the Punjab Ministry of Finance. Through the circular, heads of all departments concerned have been instructed to provide a list of all vacant seats by next week. All these seats will be abolished in the upcoming provincial budget, they said.

However, the decision has received a fierce backlash from the All Pakistan Clerks Association. The representative body has requested the caretaker government to reverse the decision. APCA Central Vice President Shahzad Manzoor Kayani and Provincial Vice President Chaudhary Mubasher Ahmed said around 25,000 to 30,000 positions remain vacant in the province which have been abolished. The affairs of governmental organisations, including schools, secretariats, and colleges, are suffering as a result of these unfilled vacancies.

Officials of one department are forced to do the work of another department which is unjust, they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2023.