LAHORE, Aug 17: Recruitment in the Punjab is likely to begin from next month with no special favour to MPAs during the process, sources said on Sunday.

They said the provincial government intended to fill up 100,000 vacancies, almost all on a contract basis, during the current financial year. But it would start the process next month by recruiting only 50,000 people, 10,000 for police check posts being established to arrest highway crime.

The process was to be started last month but was stopped due to MPAs demands to have a share in the jobs. Though willing to accommodate them, the Punjab government found it in a fix because of the pressure from the federal government and the donor agencies to recruit people purely on merit.

A World Bank team had during a recent meeting with the Punjab chief secretary reminded the government of the need for filling in all posts purely on merit.

The sources said the job process would be completed without giving any preference to the candidates by the MPAs. Their nominees coming upto the merit set for all jobs would only be given preference over those having the same qualification, they said.

They said the methodology would soon be conveyed to the MPAs while making them understand the pressure from the federal government and the donor agencies.