SAHIWAL: The Higher Education Department (HED) has abolished 2,902 permanent posts ranging from BPS-01 to BPS-16 that were vacant in more than 760 public sector colleges across 10 divisions of Punjab.

This decision was revealed through a notification, dated April 20, 2026, duly signed by the section officer of the college/university section.

Sources confirmed that the abolished vacant posts included caretaker, lecturer assistant, laboratory attendant, chowkidar, naib qasid, waterman, sweeper, baildar, machine attendant, and mali, among others.

The notification stated that the move was aimed at “curtailing the increasing burden on the national exchequer as well as mobilising existing staff efficiency”.

It is noteworthy that most of these posts, from BPS-1 to 16, were of a permanent nature and existed in both male and female public colleges across Punjab.

Data shows that 372 posts were abolished in Sargodha division, 138 in Sahiwal, 246 in Bahawalpur, 595 in Gujrat, 569 in Lahore, 267 in Multan, and 327 in Rawalpindi division.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2026