Daily Times

Allegations have emerged regarding the caretaker government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seeking No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Election Commission for new hires.

The provincial government has declared the practice of obtaining NOCs illegal and is preparing legislation to terminate affected employees. The new policy states that employees hired through the Public Service Commission, as well as those recruited under the Sindh quota and prior to the caretaker government’s establishment, will retain their positions.

Following the formation of the current government by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), it was decided to deem all appointments made during the caretaker phase as illegal. A committee led by Law Minister Aftab Alam has completed an inquiry into these appointments and assessed the legal implications of terminating these employees.

Minister Alam revealed that the investigation uncovered that the caretaker government had, in fact, obtained NOCs from the Election Commission for these hires. However, he emphasized that the Election Commission lacks the authority to issue such NOCs. He noted that these appointments violate the Election Commission Act of 2017 and the constitution, along with the ethical guidelines issued by the Election Commission for upcoming elections.

In light of these findings, the government plans to introduce legislation to dismiss the unlawfully hired employees. It has also been confirmed that those recruited through the Public Service Commission and Sindh quota will not be terminated, nor will employees hired through interviews before the caretaker government’s tenure.