GILGIT, Aug 2: The Gilgit-Baltistan government has banned recruitment in government departments for one year, according to a notification issued here on Wednesday.

Officials of the GB administration said that the ban had been imposed owing to paucity of funds. The ban would affect the process of filling vacant posts created recently in various departments.

Meanwhile, people belonging to various walks of life have denounced the imposition of ban, saying that the government had shut the door of employment for the people, who often looked to jobs for livelihood.

Local Jamaat-i-Islami leaders said that they would stage protests to press the government for withdrawal of the notification.

Parliamentary secretary Rehmat Khaliq said in a statement that the ban could create problems for both the government and people.

MARKET GUTTED: A huge fire that broke out in a timber depot gutted 31 shops in a nearby market in Chilas, Diamer district, in the wee hours of Thursday, resulting in millions of rupees losses to local traders, police said.

They said that fire erupted in the timber depot due to electricity short-circuit, which quickly engulfed the nearby market.

However, the whole market was reduced to rubble when the ill-equipped local departments put out the flames in a delayed action.  However, no loss of life was reported.