PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has enforced a newly enacted law to remove employees recruited during the caretaker period.
The regulation wing of the Establishment and Regulation Department issued a notification directing all the departments to terminate all such employees hired during the period of caretaker government. A formal letter has been sent to the Chief Secretary and heads of all government departments and institutions.
According to the letter, employees hired between January 22, 2023, and February 29, 2024, must be removed. The law applies to all government departments and institutions.
Department heads have been directed to issue dismissal orders within 30 days.
The KP Employees Removal from Service Bill, 2025, passed by the KP Assembly last month, has been challenged in the Peshawar High Court.
Yesterday, Peshawar High Court (PHC) had issued notice to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over petition filed against the removal of employees recruited during the caretaker government in the province.
The hearing was conducted by Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Khurshid Iqbal. The court issued notices to the provincial government and the concerned parties.
The petitioner’s lawyer Gohar-ur-Rehman Khattak told the court that thousands of people were recruited in various government departments during the caretaker government. The provincial government has now enacted legislation to remove these people. The employees have been recruited under complete legal requirements and a procedure. The government wants to remove employees on the basis of like or dislike through the act.
The Assistant Advocate General told the court that the government wants to remove employees who were illegally recruited.
The court issued notices to the provincial government, the Law Secretary, and the Establishment Secretary, seeking their response at the next hearing.
