KP Govt Fires 128 Employees in Major Accountability Drive
PESHAWAR — The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has dismissed 128 employees, removed another 18 from service and ordered compulsory retirement for six officials as part of disciplinary and accountability proceedings pursued since October 2025. The figures were presented during a government briefing chaired by Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, providing a detailed picture of administrative action taken against provincial officers and employees.
Officials told the meeting that 827 disciplinary cases involving government personnel had been reported during the period. Of those, 629 cases have been decided while 198 remain under consideration. Penalties were imposed in 589 of the completed cases, while 40 officials were cleared, indicating that the proceedings have included both punitive decisions and exonerations following review.
The range of penalties went beyond dismissal from service. Two officials were demoted and one was arrested, while salary recoveries were ordered from 89 employees and promotions were withheld in 39 cases. Authorities also issued 16 charge sheets, reduced salaries in 14 cases and suspended 10 employees. Another 155 officials received warnings and 52 were formally reprimanded, according to the figures presented to the chief minister.
Unauthorised absence emerged as the largest category of alleged misconduct, accounting for 447 cases, or about 54 percent of the total. The government recorded 120 cases involving negligence, while corruption or financial irregularities and incompetence each accounted for 75 cases. Smaller numbers involved misconduct, inadequate supervision and breaches of government rules and regulations, highlighting a broad focus on workplace discipline as well as financial accountability.
The proceedings included 221 show-cause notices, 279 requests for explanations, 184 formal inquiries and 102 suspensions. Officials said 305 cases originated in district offices, 263 involved attached departments or institutions and 259 concerned central departments. The briefing also highlighted action involving 90 officials at District Headquarters Hospital Swabi during field inspections, while suspension proceedings were initiated against 61 officials and employees at District Headquarters Hospital Lakki Marwat.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said accountability, merit and transparency would remain central to the provincial government's approach and that corruption, financial irregularities, abuse of authority, negligence and unauthorised absence would not be tolerated. At the same time, he directed officials to ensure that disciplinary proceedings remain transparent, impartial and compliant with legal requirements so that employees who are not responsible are not unfairly punished and those found culpable do not evade accountability. He also linked stronger oversight with protection of public resources and improvements in institutional performance and public service delivery.
The developments are significant for Pakistan because provincial administrations manage large workforces responsible for essential public services, including health and district-level administration. The immediate next step will be the resolution of the 198 pending disciplinary cases, which the chief minister has directed authorities to conclude promptly and strictly on merit. The effectiveness of the campaign will ultimately depend on whether ordered recoveries and penalties are enforced consistently and whether tighter administrative discipline produces measurable improvements in services delivered to citizens.