Punjab slashes jobs ahead of new budget

Amid an acute financial and economic crisis in Punjab, the provincial government has granted final approval to abolish nearly 150,000 vacant posts ranging from Grade 1 to 16 across all departments. Implementation has commenced, and all such positions will be eliminated before the 2026–27 budget, with directives issued not to allocate funds for these posts in the upcoming fiscal plan. The largest share of cuts has been imposed on the education sector, where 30,391 posts (Grades 1–16) have been abolished. The Punjab Finance Department has formally issued a notification in this regard. The eliminated positions include primary, middle, and high school teachers, as well as non-teaching staff such as watchmen, helpers, naib qasids, clerks, and assistants. These posts, spread across schools and education offices throughout the province, had remained vacant for the past three years. In a second phase, a further 30,000 teaching posts are expected to be abolished later this month. According to the notification, the removal of 30,391 posts is intended to reduce the financial burden on the provincial exchequer. In addition, 221 posts have been abolished within the Punjab Prosecution Department and its affiliated institutions. The Finance Department has also issued notifications for the abolition of vacant posts across five departments, including positions such as watchmen, drivers, clerks, assistants, cashiers, and accountants. Teachers' organisations have strongly condemned the decision and announced protests. Leaders including Dr Sagheer Alam, Rana Liaqat, Shafiq Bhalowalia, and Chaudhry Shahzad described the move as "oppressive", stating that the government is depriving people of employment rather than creating jobs. They noted that no new recruitment has taken place over the past four years and warned that the decision would adversely affect the functioning of schools and public offices. The All Pakistan Clerks Association has also criticised the move. Its central vice-president Shahzad Kiani and divisional president Chaudhry Mubashir cautioned that, without strong resistance, up to 80% of government jobs could be eliminated, alleging that the education and healthcare systems are being undermined. They have demanded the immediate reversal of the decision and the initiation of fresh recruitment. Sources further indicate that an additional 100,000 posts may be abolished in Punjab before 30 June. Large-scale post-scrapping continues Meanwhile, the process of abolishing permanent posts across government departments in Punjab is continuing, with multiple notifications issued for the elimination of long-vacant positions. The Special Education Department has abolished 244 posts, the Agriculture Department has removed 5,199 positions, the Forestry Department has eliminated 753 posts, the Housing and Physical Planning Department has abolished 727 posts, and the Irrigation Department has removed 1,041 posts.