KHAR: The ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) has terminated services of hundreds of contract employees of various departments in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata), sources told Dawn on Saturday.

They said that about 290 contract employees working in various tribal agencies had been terminated after the Safron ministry refused to extend their contract.

The sources said that an official notification in that regard had been issued. They disclosed that the step was taken after the federal government had banned extending contract employees’ tenure in all its ministries, divisions and corporations.

According to the sources, the sacked employees had been working in various departments, including forestry, non-timber forest products (NTFP) and fisheries for last ten years.

They said that the ministry had asked sacked employees to submit their bills before September 5 so they could be paid salaries of the month of August.

The local administration also confirmed the dismissal of several contract employees from service in Bajaur Agency.

An official told Dawn that the administration had received an official notification issued by the ministry of Safron regarding termination of several contract employees working in three departments in the agency.

Published in Dawn, August 31, 2014