The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Department has imposed an immediate ban on all types of recruitment in designated districts as the province’s new administration reviews administrative affairs and focuses on improving public services.
According to a notification issued by the Directorate of Health Services, Designated Districts, on October 22, 2026, district health officers and medical superintendents of district headquarters (DHQ) and tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospitals have been directed to immediately halt all recruitment activities.
Under the directive, no new recruitment may be initiated, continued or completed at health department offices and medical facilities in the designated districts until further orders. All ongoing recruitment processes have also been suspended with immediate effect.
The notification specifically directs officials to stop every stage of hiring, including job advertisements, interviews, tests and the preparation of merit lists.
No appointment letters may be issued, and candidates cannot be appointed or allowed to join their posts until further instructions are issued.
The department has instructed all relevant officials to ensure immediate compliance with the orders. Any violation may result in responsibility being fixed on the concerned officer or staff member, who could face disciplinary action.
The directive has been circulated to all district health officers and medical superintendents of DHQ and THQ hospitals in the designated districts. Copies have also been sent to the secretary concerned with education and the social sector, the Area Development Secretariat and the director general of Health Services KP.
Administrative review underway in KP
The recruitment freeze comes as the provincial administration focuses on the performance of public institutions, administrative matters and the use of public resources.
However, the notification does not specify the detailed reasons for suspending recruitment or identify any irregularities in previous hiring processes.
The decision, therefore, cannot be directly linked to alleged corruption or shortcomings under the previous administration without further official clarification.
For now, the ban applies to Health Department offices and medical facilities in designated districts. Recruitment will remain suspended until the government issues further orders, while the timeline for resuming the hiring process remains unclear.
