RAWALPINDI, July 26: Two women councillors who were also serving as lady health workers (LHWs) were fired from jobs for simultaneously keeping elected office and working for the government, a source in the district government said on Saturday.

Shahida Kalsoom and Shaheen Akhtar had been elected as councillors of the Bagga Sheikhan union council and had since then been working as LHWs.

The termination of service orders have asked the women to reimburse the salaries paid to them during the last two years. They have been warned of criminal proceedings in case they failed to pay back the money.

The councillors are not paid anything and they turn to other jobs for earning their livelihood. However, the government rules do not permit keeping a public office and a government job at the same time.

The source said the misfortune for the two women began when they made a failed no-confidence bid against the UC Nazim, Raja Ali Zaman.

In a retaliatory move, the Nazim complained to the EDO (health) that the women had been keeping government jobs and public office simultaneously.

The EDO in the termination letters said: “keeping a government job and public office is against the service rules and the local government ordinance.”

The source added that though apparently the decision was according to rules, but it was ill-motivated. “It was known to the Nazim and others for the last two years that the women worked as LHWs to earn their livelihood, but they remained silent until the women opposed them. The opportunity was used to settle political scores,” he added.