NIRC voids 2025 hiring process, removes 10 employees over irregularities

ISLAMABAD: The National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) has scrapped its entire 2025 recruitment exercise and ended the services of 10 appointees after an inquiry found multiple violations of the Civil Servants Act, 1973, and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Rules, 2004.

An inquiry report signed by acting chairman Sardar Tahir Sabir said the recruitment process was invalid from the outset and identified a series of procedural and legal flaws. These included the improper formation of the Departmental Selection Committee (DSC), the absence of open competitive bidding in the hiring of the Candidate Testing Service (CTS), breaches of quota rules, appointments of overage candidates and the use of fabricated documents.

The move came after objections were raised earlier by the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenues (AGPR), which had stopped salary payments to the newly appointed employees through a letter dated March 2, 2026. While reviewing FO1 forms for pay computerisation, the AGPR pointed to what it described as certain discrepancies and deficiencies in the recruitment process.

The AGPR specifically noted that the selection committee had not been set up in line with the prescribed recruitment rules. It advised that the minutes of the committee meeting should be endorsed by the joint secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development in order to regularise the process.

Inquiry findings

Complaints that led to the ministry’s directive alleged that the DSC was made up of a registrar in BPS-18, a deputy registrar in BPS-17 and an assistant in BPS-15 holding additional charge, despite the availability of BPS-21 officers within the commission who were not included.

The inquiry also questioned the appointment of CTS, saying no tenders were invited and no quotations were obtained from other testing agencies. It further recorded allegations of nepotism in several appointments. According to the findings, one stenotypist was the nephew of the assistant serving on the selection committee, while a reader was said to be the brother-in-law of the in-charge of the IT branch.

The report also stated that one lower division clerk was appointed against a post that had not been advertised and was reportedly using the same mailing address as a senior employee. In addition, a communication sent in December 2025 by a member of the NIRC Lahore bench about a stenotypist lacking the required professional qualifications was reportedly ignored.

The inquiry said unauthorised upgradations of posts had also taken place, including the chairman’s reader post being moved from BPS-16 to BPS-18 without the necessary approvals. It further stated that a watchman in BPS-03 was allegedly appointed as reader in BPS-14 without proceedings of the departmental committee.

Action ordered

On the basis of these findings, the commission terminated the appointments of 10 candidates, while Mohammad Anas, a court orderly in BPS-01, was exempted. The commission also ordered that the personal files of the terminated employees be sealed.

It further directed that financial losses be recovered from officials held responsible, including then registrar Arbab Mohammad Amjad, Administrative Officer Zia Haider Rizvi and Deputy Registrar Azhar Rafique Sanjrani. Disciplinary proceedings were also recommended against members of the DSC for failing to observe legal requirements.