Balochistan sacks 72 more doctors for absence; Rs 410 million cut from staff salaries

The Balochistan government has dismissed 72 more doctors for prolonged absence from duty, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti announced on Saturday 31 October, as the province widens a crackdown on government employees who draw salaries without turning up to work. The doctors sacked in Balochistan are the latest in a drive that has now removed 200 government employees, ARY News reported.

The numbers so far

Bugti shared the official notification of the dismissals on social media and said no government employee would be paid for staying at home. "Negligence will not be tolerated," he said.

Why it matters for patients

Absent doctors are a long-running problem in Balochistan's district hospitals and basic health units, where a post on paper often does not mean a doctor in the room. In a province of long distances and few hospitals, one missing doctor can leave a whole tehsil without a qualified physician. Patients then travel to Quetta or to Karachi, at a cost few families can bear.

The health department has also brought in an AI-based attendance system for the first time to track whether staff are at their posts. The government says it will be used to hold staff to account rather than relying on registers signed by hand.

What happens next

The 800 employees under departmental proceedings could face dismissal or other penalties once their cases are decided. The government has not said whether the vacant posts will be advertised at once, or how many of the 72 positions were in rural units.

If you work in government

A dismissal for absence usually ends any claim to pension and gratuity for the service period. If you are a government employee in any province and want to know what your service is worth before a decision about leave or resignation, our gratuity calculator and provident fund calculator give a quick estimate.

For doctors and other job seekers, open government posts are listed on our jobs board as they are advertised, for example the Pakistan Marine Academy vacancies in Karachi.