LAYYAH, Dec 7: The executive district officer (EDO) for health has withdrawn 45 appointments to the health department on the order of the chief election commissioner. District Coordination Officer Mahar Mahmood Akhter has passed verbal orders to the EDO in pursuance of a letter by the chief election commissioner ordering immediate withdrawal of computer operators’ appointments.

A well-placed health official said the department had a plan to recruit 103 people on a political basis to help certain people win the Jan 8 election, however only 45 could be appointed under this plan. According to official documents, the appointments were made to grade 12 and 15 on Dec 1 this year.

Separately, former Punjab Assembly member Mahar Fazal Hussain Sumra, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) aspirant from PP-266, filed an application to a returning officer about appointments being made to the education department.

In response on Friday, education officials gave a written undertaking on behalf of the executive district education officer that proceedings on appointments had been stopped.