MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has approved a procedure for the confirmation and regularisation of around 3,300 employees working under the National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Healthcare (FP&PHC).

According to a notification issued by the health secretariat on Thursday, the decision has been taken in the light of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s judgment dated Jan 1, 2013, along with subsequent legal and administrative developments.

The benefit will extend to gazetted and non-gazetted employees who were in service as of July 7, 2012, in line with Section 4 of the AJK Family Planning and Healthcare Programme Employees Regularisation and Standardisation Act, 2017, as well as the AJK Supreme Court’s judgment of Feb 27, 2023, and a government notification issued on April 16, 2013.

Under the approved procedure, cases of employees in BPS-16 and BPS-17 will be placed before Selection Board No 3, which will include the special secretary health and the additional secretary law as additional members.

For non-gazetted staff, cases will be examined by the relevant selection committees, with the assistant director (legal) of the health department included as an additional member.

The notification states that the selection board and committees will formulate their recommendations after examining five codal requirements. These include whether the posts were properly advertised at the time of recruitment, whether merit lists were prepared following tests and interviews, whether appointments were made in accordance with the applicable service rules, and whether the employees possessed the required qualifications both at the time of appointment and as per current standards.

Following scrutiny of the record, the respective forums will submit their recommendations, after which confirmation or regularisation orders will be issued with the approval of the competent authority.

AJK’s Special Secretary Health Younis Mir termed the development a “milestone”, saying the issue had remained unresolved since 2012.

“It was a longstanding and sensitive matter. Around 3,300 employees will benefit from this policy,” he said, adding that the proposal had been pursued with the support of the health department and the programme management.

He also acknowledged the role of Programme Coordinator Dr Abdul Mateen in advancing the case.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026