The Punjab government has abolished thousands of long-vacant posts across multiple departments ahead of the upcoming provincial budget, including around 30,000 positions in the School Education Department (SED) Punjab. Officials said the posts had remained vacant for several years and continued to appear in budget documents as salary allocations despite no actual spending. They said the decision aims to streamline expenditures and reduce financial pressure on the provincial exchequer.

Officials said the posts had remained vacant for several years and continued to appear in budget documents as salary allocations despite no actual spending. They said the decision aims to streamline expenditures and reduce financial pressure on the provincial exchequer.

The School Education Department, the largest civilian employer in the province, accounted for the highest number of abolished posts due to its large workforce. Vacant positions were also removed in other departments, including 5,199 in Agriculture, more than 300 in the Directorate General Public Relations, around 200 in the Information and Culture Department, and thousands more in Health, Forestry, Irrigation, Housing, Special Education, and Prosecution.

The move has drawn criticism from teachers’ associations, political parties, and unions, which argue that the government should have filled the vacancies instead of eliminating them to address staff shortages in public institutions.

Critics say the decision could limit future employment opportunities and increase pressure on existing staff. Media reports indicate that the Finance Department is reviewing the possibility of abolishing up to 100,000 additional vacant posts before June 30 as part of broader fiscal restructuring measures.

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