PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday passed a bill to terminate thousands of employees recruited by the last caretaker government in the province.

The KP Employees Removal from Service Bill, 2025, was tabled by law minister Aftab Ahmad Afridi during a session chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.

Speaking on his proposed amendment to the bill, PPP`s Ahmad Karim Kundi said his party`s federal government, led by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, had reinstated around 20,000 employees who were dismissed on political grounds.He said that the services of employees, who met the necessary formalities and rules for such appointments, should not be terminated.

`We are with you [treasury] for anything that is good for the province. I request you to accept my amendment,` he said.

Minister Afridi said he was surprised at Mr Kundi`s move as he had always talked about the Constitutional and legal principles.

He said when the PTPs government was replaced in the centre, the party was completely ignored during the formation of the caretaker set up, and the so-called champions of democracy [caretakers] recruited over 10,000 people, he said.

The minister said the house should decide about Mr Kundi`s amendment through a vote, prompting the PPP member to withdraw it.

In another amendment, Mr Kundi proposed the formation of a judicial commission to identifythose responsible for unlawful appointments within 90 days for accountability.

The minister urged the lawmaker to raise the matter through a calling attention notice, privilege motion, or a question for its referral to the relevant house committee for inquiry. Majority of the MPAs voted against the amendment.

The bill was tabled by the government on January 24, saying it wants to terminate services of the employees recruited in various departments by the last caretaker government `unlawfully through initial recruitment in the government`s best interest.

Section 2(c) of the bill reads: `Employee means any employee, appointed through initial recruitment, by various departments, against regular posts, during the tenure of the caretaker government, in the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with effect from January 22, 2023, to February 29, 2024, except employees appointed following court orders, deceasedsons, KP public service commission, minority quota or in case where tests and interviews were conducted before January 22, 2023.

Section 3 of the proposed law says the employees unlawfully recruited would be deemed to have never been appointed and their appointment were hereby declared to be void, while `unlawfully` meant the appointment made in contravention of the provision of Section 230 of the Election Act, 2017, and the instruction of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The finance department has estimated the number of affected employees at9,662, with around 4,000 being from the police department, 2,500 from the elementary and secondary education department, and 200 each from the local government, public health engineering, irrigation, communication and works, and health departments.

Also during Monday`s session, the law minister tabled the KP Regulatory Force Bill, 2025.However, PPP member Kundi complained about `confusion` in the proposed law and requested the chair to delay voting on it for further discussion.

The minister agreed, leading to the formation of a select committee, comprising Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, him, MPAs Idrees Khan, Mushtaq Ghani, Muneer Hussain, Sher Ali, Asif Khan, Hamdeedur Rehman, Kundi, Adnan Khan, Arbab Usman and Sobia Shahid, and advocate general, to review the bill and produce a report within four days.

The house also passed the KP Agriculture Income Tax Bill, 2025, which was tabledby revenue minister Nazir Ahmad Abbasi.

Through the move, the government imposed one per cent tax on Rs150-Rs200 million annual agricultural income, two per cent on over Rs200-Rs250 million, three per cent for Rs250-Rs300 million, four per cent on Rs300-Rs350 million, six per cent on Rs350-Rs400 million, eight per cent on overRs400 million but not exceeding Rs500 million, and 10 per cent on over Rs500 million agricultural income.

Opposition member Kundi complained about the tax structure and insisted owners of smaller holdings were taxed disproportionately compared to those with significantly higher incomes.

`What kind of justice is this?` he questioned, warning the government of strict opposition.

He said the government wanted to tax people with over 100 kanals of land. He demanded exemption for those with 200 kanals of land.

Minister also introduced the West-Pakistan Civil Courts Amendments Bill, 2025, in the house.

However, PPP member Ahmad Karim Kundi proposed further discussion to which the minister agreed.

The chair adjourned the sitting until 2pm today (Tuesday) due to a lack of quorum, pointed out by Jalal Khan of the opposition PML-N.