Employees of the Civil Secretariat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have come forward with serious allegations regarding the mismanagement and irregularities in the allotment of government residences. A petition addressed to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah details how the process has been marred by favoritism, rule violations, and denial of rights to eligible employees since 2021.
The petition highlights that under the guise of “advance allotments,” certain preferred employees were allocated government residences well ahead of time, even though these accommodations are currently in use by others who are expected to retire between 2025 and 2030. In many cases, the beneficiaries already own personal residences in Peshawar, making them ineligible under the Government Accommodation Rules 2018. This selective treatment has not only undermined the system’s transparency but has also deprived numerous deserving employees of their rightful share.
According to Rule 3(4), any employee or their family members who own a house in Peshawar is disqualified from applying for government housing. However, dozens of such ineligible individuals were still allotted residences. Rule 9(3) mandates that a waiting list be published annually on the official website to ensure transparency, but this practice has been neglected for over three years. The result is widespread mistrust among employees who feel sidelined despite years of waiting.
The petitioners are demanding immediate cancellation of all illegal advance allotments and an impartial inquiry either by a third-party agency or the inspection teams of the Governor or Chief Minister. They insist that all undeserving occupants be evicted and disciplinary actions be taken against officials responsible, including Assistant Estate Officers and senior administrative figures.
To restore fairness and transparency, the petition proposes digitizing the entire allotment process through a real-time web portal developed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board. It should allow applicants to track their status, view waiting lists, and receive automated updates.
Furthermore, the incorporation of a blockchain-based audit system would create an unchangeable trail of all actions taken, ensuring accountability at every level. The petition also points out the continued disregard for the Peshawar High Court’s 2017 judgment, which ordered the cancellation of all out-of-turn allotments, a decision that remains unimplemented. Employees have warned that unless these concerns are urgently addressed, public trust in government institutions will be severely damaged and deserving civil servants will remain sidelined. They have urged the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary to take swift and decisive action to restore merit, transparency, and justice in the housing allotment system.
