LAHORE, Aug 23: Recruitment for the independent prosecution service had been started and it would formally be launched from next month, said Law Minister Basharat Raja here on Wednesday.

He told reporters here that gazetted officers in the department would be recruited purely on merit by a panel of experts, including members of the Punjab Public Service Commission.

Strict criteria had been determined for the recruitment which would include written and viva voce tests.

He said the recruitment was not being made through the PPSC because all the gazetted posts in the department would be filled on contract basis. The PPSC could only select candidates for regular government jobs, he said.

The minister said the ability of the recruited prosecutors would be established through their performance in courts. The service had been created to improve prosecution of cases in courts therefore it was out of question to recruit incompetent officers for it.