PESHAWAR, May 19: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday appointed chairman and six members of provincial Public Service Commission (PSC), filling all the positions that fell vacant after recent amendments in the law aimed at curtailing tenures of their predecessors.

The three serving officers, appointed as members of PSC, included Hafiz Matiullah, currently serving as Collector Customs Quetta, Shah Nawaz Khattak, Accountant General Pakistan Revenue, Islamabad, and Engineer Habib Ali, Secretary Works and Services Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

All these three officers have consented to take premature retirement from the service to become members of the commission.

Likewise, three retired officers appointed as PSC members included Zubair Shah, a former officer from Provincial Civil Service, Attaullah Khan Wazir, retired officer from Police Services of Pakistan and Farid Khan Wazir, a retired federal secretary.

Appointment of these members and the chairman has been made for a period of three years or till any of them reaches the age limit of 65 years, as envisaged in the law after recent amendments. The provincial government had amended the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission Ordinance 1978, to cut short the tenure of the chairman and members of the PSC.

As a result of the amendment that was published in the official gazette on May 6 the then PSC chairman Gulzar Khan and six members Mian Sahib Jan, Brig (retired) Manzoor Iqbal Bangash, Jamshed Ali Khan, Shala Khan Afridi, Mohammad Younas Marwat and Col (retired) Alamzeb lost their jobs.

Except Col (retired) Alamzeb, the chairman and the five members had already served for three to five years against their actual tenure of five years. Mr Alamzeb, who was supposed to serve till 2015, lost the job on the basis of age because he had crossed the required limit of 65 years for the post, said an official.

The outgoing chairman and members of the commission, including those who are still serving, have challenged the government decision of curtailing their tenure in the Peshawar High Court.

The day notification for terminating the tenures of the chairman and six members was issued, two more members -- Sahibzada Mohammad Khalid and Prof Fazle Ahmad -- were inducted in the PSC.

With induction of chairman and six more members, the total strength of its members had reached to 11, the sanctioned number, the official added. Amendments in the law, governing affairs of the PSC, came as a follow up of recommendations framed by a high level committee aiming at improving the functioning of this constitutional body, which recruits officers for the provincial government.

Apart from amending the law, official said, certain changes were also being made in the rules of business, curtailing the discretionary powers of the members in conducting interviews for different posts.

Similarly, measures were also being taken for automation of the existing procedures of the commission, he added.