LAHORE, Aug 15: All provincial departments and district governments have started recruitment process to fill around 50,000 vacancies amid claims that it was part of the ruling party’s preparations for the next general elections.

Official sources informed Dawn on Wednesday that the recruitment process was to be completed by Sept 30, claiming vacancies would be filled on merit.

According to the sources, the provincial regulation wing of the Services and General Administration Department had, through an official letter, allowed all departments and district governments to immediately start filling all vacancies and complete the process by September 30.

They said the recruitments were being made mainly against non-gazetted posts. As many as 16,000 educators would also be recruited on a one-year contract, having higher salary package than that of the regular schoolteachers.

The sources said almost all recruitments were being made on contract basis as per the existing policy. The recruitments in district governments would be made through district selection committees.

They said MPAs and MNAs could be given job quota in BS-1 to 5 posts where no written or viva voce tests were required. But, for recruitments against higher posts they could `back’ only those who would qualify for the slots.