Govt whips thousands with dismissals

Critics argue that the unprecedented lay-offs will worsen the rate of unemployment and crime in the province

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PESHAWAR:

Nearly every incumbent government verbalizes the clichéd promise of ending unemployment in an attempt to gain attention and stay in the public eye. However, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has come up with an unprecedented way of making news by dismissing thousands of recruited employees instead of creating more jobs.

For the first time in the history of the province, government employees have been dismissed through an assembly-passed law. The K-P government has recently passed the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Employees Removal from Service Act 2025 in the provincial assembly.

Following approval from the provincial cabinet, the government officially terminated the employment of 9,762 individuals recruited during the caretaker government's tenure. However, employees reinstated by the Public Service Commission and courts have been granted exemption from this decision.

According to documents obtained by The Express Tribune, the majority of the terminated employees belong to the police department, where 4,019 appointments were made during the caretaker government. Other affected departments include Elementary and Secondary Education, from where 2,323 employees were dismissed, Higher Education, where 702 employees were dismissed, Health, with 693 dismissals, Local Government with 192 dismissals, and the Jail Department with 159 dismissals. Similarly, 120 employees, were dismissed from Communication & Works, 188 were dismissed from Irrigation, 175 dismissed from Agriculture, 137 dismissed from Public Health, and 112 dismissed from Social Welfare.

The move has sparked widespread political controversy. Sharing his discontent, Pakistan People's Party (PPP's) parliamentary leader Ahmad Karim Kundi criticized the decision, stating that it would worsen unemployment in an already struggling province.

"Instead of creating jobs, the government is taking them away. This is a cruel and unfortunate decision. Rather than firing employees, action should be taken against the bureaucrats and secretaries who have authorized these hiring's. The provincial government is targeting low-income workers while sparing influential figures. Since it cannot act against powerful individuals, it is quick to dismiss poor workers," claimed Kundi.

Kundi further highlighted the worsening law-and-order, terrorism, and migration crisis in K-P, with residents relocating to Islamabad and other cities for security and economic stability.

"While 10,000 employees have been removed, the government might soon hire new workers based on political affiliations, favouring its supporters rather than ensuring merit-based employment," he speculated.

Expanding on the problem, Former Chairman of International Relations at the University of Peshawar, Professor Ejaz Khan, echoed similar concerns about rising unemployment.

"K-P is the only province where jobs are being taken away instead of being created. Unemployment is already at a critical level, and economic hardships are pushing people towards suicide. Therefore, this decision could further escalate poverty, crime, and social unrest," warned Khan, who urged the government to reconsider its policy and focus on public welfare instead.

Defending the move, K-P's Minister for Law and Human Rights, Aftab Alam, stated that the caretaker government had no legal authority to make new appointments. "Caretaker governments cannot hire employees or pass laws. The former administration falsely claimed that they had obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Election Commission, which is not legally possible. We are committed to merit-based policies and will not tolerate any illegal recruitment practices. Ensuring transparency and upholding merit is our top priority," assured Alam.