Nearly 150,000 positions eliminated across the province; 30,000 education positions already eliminated
RAWALPINDI:
Amid an acute financial and economic crisis in Punjab, the provincial government has given final approval to eliminate nearly 150,000 vacant posts ranging from grade 1 to grade 16 across all departments.
Implementation has started and all these positions will be eliminated before the 2026-2027 budget, with directives being issued not to allocate funds to these positions in the next financial plan.
The largest share of budget cuts was imposed on the education sector, where 30,391 positions (grades 1 to 16) were eliminated. The Punjab Finance Department has officially issued a notification in this regard.
The eliminated positions include primary, middle and high school teachers, as well as non-teaching staff such as guards, aides, naib qasids, clerks and assistants. These positions, located in schools and education offices across the province, had remained vacant for the past three years.
In a second phase, an additional 30,000 teaching positions are expected to be cut later this month. According to the notification, the elimination of 30,391 positions is aimed at reducing the financial burden on the provincial treasury.
Additionally, 221 posts were abolished in the Punjab Public Prosecution Service and its affiliated institutions. The Finance Ministry also issued notifications for abolition of vacant posts in five departments, including posts such as guards, drivers, clerks, assistants, cashiers and accountants.
Teachers’ organizations strongly condemned this decision and announced protests. Leaders including Dr Sagheer Alam, Rana Liaqat, Shafiq Bhalowalia and Chaudhry Shahzad called the move “oppressive”, saying the government is depriving people of jobs rather than creating jobs.
They noted that no new recruitments had taken place in the past four years and warned that the move would harm the functioning of schools and public offices.
The All Pakistan Clerks Association also criticized the move. Its central vice-president Shahzad Kiani and divisional president Chaudhry Mubashir have warned that without strong resistance, up to 80% of government jobs could be lost, alleging that the education and health systems are being undermined.
They demanded the immediate reversal of the decision and the launch of new recruitment.
Sources further indicate that 100,000 more posts may be eliminated in Punjab before June 30.
Large-scale demolition continues
Meanwhile, the process of abolishing permanent posts in government departments in Punjab continues, with multiple notifications issued for removal of long-vacant posts.
The Department of Special Education has cut 244 posts, the Department of Agriculture has cut 5,199 posts, the Department of Forestry has cut 753 posts, the Department of Housing and Land Management has cut 727 posts and the Department of Irrigation has cut 1,041 posts.
