Punjab Regularization Act 2018 Repealed: Latest Position for Contract Employees, SSEs & AEOs

The Punjab Regularization of Service Act 2018 was repealed first by the Punjab Regularization of Service (Repeal) Ordinance 2025, published on 31 October 2025, and then by the Punjab Regularization of Service (Repeal) Act 2025 (Act CII of 2025), published on 18 December 2025.

The repeal does not say that a person who was already regularized under the 2018 Act loses that completed status. It also preserves the effect of anything already done or action already taken under the repealed Act. Whether a person still on contract has an individual claim depends on the appointment record, service period, departmental action, any pending proceedings, and the applicable law or court order.

Read the official Gazette texts below. The Act is the final legislation; the earlier Ordinance is included because it explains the immediate repeal and its stated policy context.

Section 2(1) of the Repeal Act repeals the Punjab Regularization of Service Act 2018 (Act XV of 2018). Section 3 then repeals the earlier Repeal Ordinance 2025. In practical terms, the Act replaced the Ordinance as the final legislative instrument while keeping the repeal in place.

The dates matter. The Repeal Ordinance was published on 31 October 2025 and came into force at once. The Repeal Act was published on 18 December 2025 and also came into force at once.

The Statement of Objects and Reasons printed with the Repeal Ordinance says that the Government of Punjab intended to shift the mode of appointments from the Basic Pay Scale system to a Lump Sum Pay Package. It refers to reducing the burden on the public exchequer, including pension-related financial burden.

That statement describes the policy reason given with the Ordinance. It should not be read as deciding any individual employee's eligibility, service status, or claim.

Section 2(2) of the Repeal Act says that anything done or action taken under a provision of the 2018 Act continues to have effect as if the Act had not been repealed. The same saving language appeared in the Repeal Ordinance.

This is important because repeal is not worded as an instruction to undo completed actions. It does not, however, create an automatic new right to regularization for every contract employee. Individual records and the legal route available in a particular case still matter.

These are broad categories for understanding the update, not a substitute for examining an appointment order or seeking case-specific professional advice.

SSEs and AEOs should not assume that a common designation alone decides the issue. The relevant questions include how the appointment was made, whether it was against an approved post, the terms of the appointment, length and continuity of service, the departmental record, and whether there was a timely application, recommendation, or court direction.

The repeal does not itself announce that all SSEs or AEOs will be regularized, nor does it say that every SSE or AEO has no possible claim. The appropriate position must be assessed against the particular employment record and applicable legal developments.

In the reported judgment in Mohsin Abbas & 40 others v Secretary Communication & Works & others (2026 LHC 1419; W.P. No. 214 of 2026 and connected matters), the Lahore High Court considered connected cases involving contract employees from more than one department. It was not a blanket ruling that automatically regularizes every SSE, AEO, or contract employee.

The reported judgment treated the repeal as prospective. It distinguished between employees who had completed three years of continuous service before 31 October 2025 while still in service, cases involving a timely application or an earlier court direction, project employees, and appointments that lacked the approvals or recruitment process required by law. The Court's treatment of each group depended on its evidence and circumstances.

For example, the reported judgment states that a rejection based only on repeal or contract expiry could not be sustained in certain qualifying cases involving a timely application or earlier judicial direction. It also records that project employees and appointments without the required administrative approval, advertisement, interview, merit list, or recruitment committee process did not stand on the same footing.

31 October 2025 is the publication date of the Repeal Ordinance and the date it came into force. It is therefore a key cut-off point in the legislative timeline.

The reported LHC judgment discusses pre-31 October 2025 service and events when considering whether the repeal operated prospectively in the connected cases before it. The date alone does not decide an individual case; supporting service and appointment records remain important.

Regularization under the repealed 2018 Act and the 30% Social Security Benefit (SSB) available under the Punjab Contract Appointment Policy 2004 are different questions. A contract employee should not assume that one automatically decides the other.

For employees whose appointment terms fall under the relevant contract policy and pay arrangement, HisaabKit's separate SSB update explains the Finance Department clarification after Basic Pay Scales 2026. The appointment order, payroll record and applicable Finance Department instructions remain controlling for an individual entitlement.

Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD) circulated the Repeal Ordinance for necessary action through its communication dated 31 October 2025. The document records that the Ordinance had been promulgated and published in the Punjab Gazette on that date.

Keep copies of the appointment order, extensions, pay slips, attendance or service record, any application for regularization, departmental recommendations, rejection letters, and court orders. Check the date on which relevant service was completed and whether the employee was still in service when the Repeal Ordinance took effect.

Where a question affects employment status, pay, litigation, or a departmental representation, use the original Gazette text and the complete official or court record. A qualified adviser can assess the facts of an individual case.

Use the resources area to find related official documents and public information. It is a convenient starting point, but the original issuing authority remains the authoritative source.