Hired during caretaker setup: KP govt to terminate over 16,000 employees

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to terminate more than 16,000 employees recruited during the caretaker setup.A draft bill, titled the KP Termination of Employees Act 2025, has been prepared and will be presented in the provincial assembly for approval.

Once passed, respective departments will issue notifications to remove the employees from jobs.A six-member committee, led by the Secretary Establishment, will be formed to review potential complications in implementing the decision. This committee will include representatives from the Advocate General’s Office, Law, Finance, and Administration Departments, along with other relevant secretaries.

The previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had initiated the plan to remove these employees, citing irregularities in their appointments. The provincial cabinet had endorsed the proposal, assigning the law minister to collect recruitment data from all departments.

According to sources, recruitment data submitted by various departments, including police and health, revealed that approximately 8,300 appointments were made during the caretaker government. However, not all departments have submitted their reports yet, and the total number of affected employees was expected to exceed 16,000.

According to the draft bill, all employees hired unlawfully during the caretaker government will be removed. Following the bill’s approval, departments will issue termination notices accordingly.

The bill was initially included in the assembly’s agenda on Friday. However, due to protests by PTI lawmakers, the government requested the speaker to suspend the regular agenda. KP Advisor on Finance Muzzammil Aslam, while speaking to Jang, confirmed that 8,300 employees had been identified so far, but the number could rise significantly as more reports were received.

The government insisted that the move was necessary to address irregularities and ensure fair governance, but the decision was likely to spark public backlash.The coming days will reveal how the situation unfolds as the assembly debates the proposed bill.