By: Shahid Jan
PESHAWAR: In the first phase of verifying educational certificates and degrees at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Secretariat, officials discovered that more than 20 employees had submitted fake documents. Preparations for significant action against these employees have been finalised.
According to sources, the employees in question hold various positions ranging from Grade 4 to Grade 18.
Following the instructions of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, the assembly initiated a process to verify the educational qualifications of its employees. Degrees were requested from all employees, and relevant universities and boards were tasked with conducting checks, which have since been completed.
The assembly employees were categorised into four groups based on the verification results:
First Category: Employees whose degrees were verified as genuine will face no action.
Second Category: Employees whose recruitment was based on educational qualifications that were found to be fake will be dismissed from their jobs.
Third Category: Employees who were initially hired with valid qualifications but later submitted fake degrees for promotion will have all their promotions revoked.
Fourth Category: Employees whose recruitment and promotions were not directly linked to their educational qualifications but misled the Assembly Secretariat with forged documents will have their annual salary increments deducted.
Sources indicate that during the verification, more than five employees were identified with fake certificates at the time of recruitment. Additionally, over five promotions will be recommended for revocation, and the annual salary increments of more than ten employees will be cut.
Some individuals in high-ranking positions are reportedly trying to protect favoured colleagues by using their influence. This follows a previous scandal in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly involving ghost employees.
It was revealed that the records of assembly employees were maintained separately by the Assembly Secretariat, the Advocate General, and the Finance Department, resulting in a discrepancy of about 70 employees among the recorded 804.
Due to complaints regarding discrepancies in employee numbers and recruitment based on fake documents, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati ordered an investigation.
