KP govt abolishes son quota system for government employees

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has abolished the son quota system for government employees. Under this new amendment children of deceased or incapacitated employees will now no longer automatically get jobs.

This change is part of an amendment to the rules for recruitment, promotion, and transfers of employees in the province, where Clause 4 of Rule 10 has been completely removed and Clause 2 has been partially abolished.

 These clauses were used previously to recruit children of employees who had passed away or were declared unfit for work, but now the recruitment will be strictly merit-based.

However, this move is not isolated,  earlier the Punjab government made similar changes by abolishing rule 17-A of the Punjab Civil Servants Act, 1974, which means children of deceased Punjab government employees are no longer entitled to jobs.

Additionally, the Supreme Court declared job quotas for children of government employees unconstitutional and against the principle of merit.

The court verdict effectively struck down policies connected with job quotas for children of government workers in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan– the conviction being that equal opportunities are ensured by the Constitution.

This decision by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to abolish the son quota system is a step towards a more merit-based recruitment process, which will lead to a more competitive and fair job market.

 It is part of a larger shift in the civil service policy of the province to prioritize merit and qualifications over family connections or other factors. Overall, this decision seems to have moved the game towards leveling out for the aspirants of jobs at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.