PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has introduced a major age relaxation policy, allowing up to 10 years of age relaxation for candidates applying for government jobs across various departments.
According to a notification issued by the Chief Secretary, candidates applying for Grade 17 and above jobs will get a 10-year upper age limit relaxation. The same facility will be available for Grade 16 and lower jobs in the Secretariat. For non-Secretariat posts, the decision to grant age relaxation will be made by the Administrative Secretary and relevant department heads.
The new policy also offers special age relaxation for the families of government employees who lost their lives in terrorist attacks. Widows and children of these martyred employees will receive extra consideration.
This move comes along with changes to the Civil Servants Rules 2008 and reflects the KP government’s focus on inclusive hiring. A similar step was taken earlier this year by the Sindh government, which increased the age limit for public jobs from 28 to 33 years, excluding Sindh Police and the Public Service Commission.
In a related update, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (KPPSC) has also announced a one-time relaxation for Provincial Management Service (PMS) exams. Candidates can now apply up to the age of 35 and will be allowed one extra attempt, raising the limit to four attempts for the 2025 and 2026 exams.
— ALSO READ —
President launches Benazir Hunarmand programme to train youth for global jobs
The policy is expected to benefit thousands of young people across KP and give them another chance to secure stable jobs in the government sector.
50 New BRT Buses Approved for Peshawar
In another key development, the KP cabinet, led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, has approved the purchase of 50 more diesel-hybrid buses for the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. The new buses will cost around Rs3.2 billion.
The decision was made during a high-level meeting attended by cabinet members, the chief secretary, additional secretaries, and other senior officials.
TransPeshawar, the company running the BRT system, had earlier purchased 220 buses. In 2022, 24 more buses were added, bringing the total to 244. Now, with increasing public demand and the expansion of routes from six to eight — including new routes DR-11, DR-13, and DR-14 — more buses are needed to meet commuter needs.
Other Cabinet Decisions
The cabinet also approved the termination of contractual staff working under the Provincial Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Perra).
— ALSO READ —
Naveed Asghar appointed acting Wapda chairman after Ghani resigns
Additionally, the cabinet approved the merger of four ADP scheme campuses of the Zamung Kor Model Institute for State Children — located in Swat, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad, and a girls’ campus in Peshawar — with the main institute in Peshawar. Currently, 600 children are enrolled in Peshawar and 425 in the four merged campuses.
In another decision, the government approved an agreement with Pak-Qatar Asset Management to become the 13th Asset Management Company under the CP Fund Rules, 2022.
The government has been working on pension reforms since 2015 to control the rising pension burden. Under these reforms, the traditional unfunded pension system is being shifted to a funded scheme through the Contributory Provident Fund.
