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  Lahore: A newly issued recruitment advertisement by PECTAA and shared by the Punjab education minister on his social media handles, has sparked strong reactions and disappointment among thousands of job applicants across Punjab. Candidates have expressed their concerns over the decision to announce vacancies that, according to them, had already been advertised previously and for which the recruitment process had already begun. Applicants stated that the same positions were announced in July last year, following which thousands of candidates from different districts of Punjab completed the application procedure and appeared in the recruitment test conducted by PECTAA at Punjab University, Lahore. Many candidates invested significant time, effort, and money in preparing for the examination and completing all required formalities. However, despite the successful completion of the written test, the recruitment process was discontinued without any clear explanation. Candidates who had participated in the earlier process have been waiting for further updates and hoped that the authorities would complete the recruitment procedure based on the test results already obtained. Instead, PECTAA has recently issued a new advertisement for the same vacancies, requiring candidates to submit fresh applications and pay a new processing fee of Rs. 3,000 for each post. The decision has caused frustration among job seekers, who argue that they should not be forced to repeat the entire process or pay additional charges when they have already fulfilled the required criteria. Several candidates have criticised the move, describing it as an unnecessary financial burden on unemployed youth who are already facing difficult economic conditions. They claim that demanding another application fee from thousands of applicants creates additional hardship and raises questions about the transparency and fairness of the recruitment procedure. Responding to the concerns, PECTAA spokesperson Noorul Huda told Minute Mirror that the department decided to initiate another round of tests and interviews after failing to find suitable candidates for the advertised positions. When informed that applicants had already appeared in the written test and those who qualified had also been called for interviews, the spokesperson said that both the written test and the interview are necessary to determine a candidate’s suitability for recruitment. He also defended the decision to charge a fresh application fee for the new recruitment process. However, candidates maintained that the recruitment process itself imposes an additional financial burden, as PECTAA conducts both its written tests and interviews in Lahore. Applicants from across Punjab have to travel to the provincial capital for each stage of the recruitment process, resulting in considerable transportation and accommodation expenses. The affected candidates have strongly appealed to PECTAA officials to reconsider the decision and acknowledge the applications submitted during the previous recruitment drive. They have demanded that the authorities complete the pending recruitment process using the test results of candidates who already appeared in the examination. According to the protesting applicants, restarting the entire process not only wastes the efforts of thousands of candidates but also creates uncertainty about the future of those who have already invested months preparing for the opportunity. They believe that conducting another recruitment cycle for the same positions is unfair unless there is a valid reason and proper justification from the concerned department. Candidates have also requested the Punjab Government and senior officials to intervene in the matter and investigate the issue. They urged the authorities to provide relief by accepting the previous applications, avoiding unnecessary fee collection, and ensuring that the recruitment process is conducted in a transparent and merit-based manner. The applicants said that unemployed youth across Punjab are looking toward government institutions for fair opportunities and expect recruitment systems to protect their time, effort, and financial investments. They called for immediate action from relevant authorities so that the recruitment process can move forward without causing further inconvenience to candidates.