KP Education Department Cancels 35 Female Teacher Appointments in DI Khan

What happened

According to a notification issued by District Education Officer (Female) Syeda Anjum, the Dera Ismail Khan Education Department has declared the appointment orders of 35 Primary School Teachers (PSTs) null and void [3]. The department alleged that these women secured government jobs using forged or fabricated appointment letters [1, 2, 3].

Key details regarding the investigation include:

• The department could not verify the teachers’ service records, appointment orders, or specific places of posting [1, 2].
• In several instances, service books and relevant recruitment records were unavailable [3].
• The department could not verify the recorded addresses of some individuals or their family members [3].
• The appointments allegedly bypassed the required competitive recruitment process, lacked newspaper advertisements, and did not receive recommendations from the Departmental Selection Committee (DSC) [3].
• The individuals reportedly failed to appear in or did not achieve qualifying merit positions in the ETEA test held on April 23 and 24, 2022, for BPS-12 union council-based PST vacancies [3].
• Their names were reportedly missing from the DSC meeting minutes dated September 15, 2022 [3].

As a result, the appointments have been declared invalid from the outset (null and void ab initio) [2, 3]. The department has directed authorities to compile a record of all salaries paid to these teachers and recover the funds to be deposited into the government treasury [1, 2]. Additionally, the DEO (Female) directed Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs) to register First Information Reports (FIRs) against the suspected impostors and ghost employees under Sections 416, 417, 419, and 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code [3]. A copy of the notification was also sent to the Assistant Director of the Anti-Corruption Establishment in Dera Ismail Khan [3].

Who is affected

• 35 female primary school teachers (PSTs) in Dera Ismail Khan [1, 2].
• The provincial government treasury, which is to receive the recovered salary amounts [1, 2].
• The local education administration in Dera Ismail Khan [3].

What students should do next

Before taking this final action, the department published show cause notices in Urdu and English newspapers [3]. Affected individuals were required to approach their respective Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) or Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs) within seven days to submit written replies and authentic documentary evidence, such as original appointment orders and joining reports [3]. Some individuals reportedly contacted the department but failed to produce the necessary documents to prove the legality of their appointments [3].