Bad governance in KP : 78 P&D officers and staff found absent

PESHAWAR: In a sweeping crackdown on absenteeism, 78 senior officials and staff from over a dozen sections of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Planning & Development (P&D) Department were found absent during a surprise inspection conducted on Thursday morning.

The inspection, ordered by high-ranking authorities on April 10, 2025, revealed widespread unauthorised absences across multiple departments, prompting the immediate issuance of formal explanation notices under the Efficiency & Discipline Rules, 2011.

The mass absenteeism has raised serious questions about administrative discipline in one of the province’s most important departments responsible for development planning and projects worth billions. The surprise check covered 19 critical sections of the provincial Planning Department, including Infrastructure, Education, Health, Industries, Power, Sports & Tourism, and Food & Agriculture.