PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution seeking two years age relaxation for government employment tests citing the outbreak of coronavirus as the reason.

The resolution moved by member of the ruling PTI Dr Sumera Shamsurged the government to amend rules pertaining to the upper age limit for the public service commission tests to grant two years age relaxation to the candidates.

During a session chaired by Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, Dr Sumera said the outbreak of coronavirus had stopped the provincial public service commission from holding tests for government jobs in the province last year.

She said the provincial government had begun advertising vacancies in its various departments that would be filled through the public service commission tests.

Members insist pandemic rendered many candidates overage

The lawmaker said many candidates couldn’t appear in tests for government jobs due to coronavirus pandemic and they stood ineligible for such jobs for crossing the upper age limit.

She said such candidates were in distress after losing one precious year of their life to the pandemic.

As the chair put the resolution to vote, the house passed it unanimously.

Earlier, PML-N MPA Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha raised the issue on a point of order.

He demanded the provincial government award two years relaxation to the candidates, who couldn’t sit the examination due to pandemic.

The lawmaker said the government had fixed the upper age limit for candidates sitting the public service commission tests at 30 years, those, who became overage last year, won’t be able to apply for government jobs.

“Scores will get the chance to apply for government jobs if they’re granted two years age relaxation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nisar Mohmand of the opposition ANP claimed that the government had distributed expired mosquito net to the residents of Mohmand district.

He said those nets laced with chemicals to protect against mosquitoes were of no use after expiry rendering people vulnerable to diseases.

The lawmaker produced a mosquito net claiming it has expired.

“Stop joking with the people of the erstwhile Mohmand tribal agency. Please have mercy on us (residents) and stop our exploitation,” he said.

Mr Mohmand also said mosquito nets were harmful to the people’s health and every family got five to six such nets.

He said millions of rupees were wasted in that respect, so the government should take notice of it for action against the culpable officials.

The MPA also alleged massive corruption in government departments of the merged tribal districts, especially communication and works, and mineral ones.

During the question hour, MPA Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha came down hard on the provincial government for what he claimed not giving heed to the improvement of services in the Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad.

He said the people didn’t take patients to the AMC fearing that the doctors’ negligence would claim their life.

The lawmaker alleged that the AMC doctors didn’t treat patients properly in the complex and forced them into visiting their private clinics for paid treatment.

He also alleged that residents of other districts had been appointed to Class-IV posts in the AMC in an act of injustice to the locals.

The chair issued a ruling asking the government to appoint only locals to such posts.

He said many MPAs had approached him complaining about the filling of Class-IV positions in hospitals by the people from other districts.

Law minister Sultan Mohammad tabled the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

He also tabled the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa board of Technical and Commerce Education Bill, 2021.

The chair adjourned the session until Friday.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2021