PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Saturday halted the recruitment of class-IV employees on a daily-wage basis in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department (KP-ESED) and sought detailed replies from the department concerned, finance department and the establishment department.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Khurshid Iqbal was hearing a petition filed by Muhammad Akbar Khan, president of the class-IV employees.
Petitioner’s counsel Arif Jan informed the court that on July 18, 2025, the provincial government issued a notification instructing various departments, including the KP-ESED, that future class-IV appointments would be made on a daily-wage basis rather than on permanent terms. All departments were directed to ensure compliance with this decision.
He pleaded that in August, the same department issued another notification allowing permanent recruitment for similar posts only in Dera Ismail Khan, which was discriminatory, as current class-IV employees were appointed on a permanent basis.
He argued that hiring class-IV staff on daily wages was unconstitutional because such employees would lack job security and protection.
The petitioner had repeatedly requested the authorities to withdraw the notification, but no action was taken. The lawyer added that the move would disrupt the existing service structure and create inequality among employees. After hearing the initial arguments, the court stopped the KP-ESED from proceeding with class-IV recruitment on a daily-wage basis and issued notices to all concerned parties to submit their responses.
