The Government of Pakistan constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre is the national government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal parliamentary democratic republic consisting of four provinces, two autonomous territories, and one federal territory. Under the Constitution, there are three primary branches of a government: the legislative, whose powers are vested in a bicameral Parliament; the executive, consisting of the President, aided by the Cabinet which is headed by the Prime Minister; and the judiciary, with the Supreme Court.
The Government of Sindh is the provincial government of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Its powers and structure are set out in the provisions of the 1973 Constitution, in which 30 Districts of 7 Divisions under its authority and jurisdiction.
The Central Superior Services is a permanent elite civil service authority, and the civil service that is responsible for running the bureaucratic operations and government secretariats and directorates of the Cabinet of Pakistan. The Prime Minister is the final authority on all matters regarding the civil service.
The Government of Punjab, is the provincial government of the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is based in Lahore, the provincial capital. Its powers and structure are set out in the provisions of the Constitution, in which 41 districts come under its authority and jurisdiction. The government includes the cabinet, selected from members the Punjab Provincial Assembly, and the non-political civil staff within each department. The province is governed by a unicameral legislature with the head of government known as the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister, invariably the leader of a political party represented in the Assembly, selects members of the Cabinet. The Chief Minister and Cabinet are thus responsible for the functioning of government and are entitled to remain in office so long as it maintains the confidence of the elected Assembly. The head of the province is known as the Governor, appointed by the federal government, on behalf of the President, while the administrative boss of the province is Chief Secretary Punjab.
The Cabinet of Pakistan is a formal body composed of senior government officials chosen and led by the Prime Minister. All cabinet members sworn in are designated Minister, and are seated at their respective ministries located in the Pakistan Secretariat.
The Pakistan Administrative Service, or PAS is an elite cadre of the Civil Services of Pakistan. The Pakistan Administrative Service over the years has emerged as the most consolidated and developed post-colonial institution in Pakistan, with the PAS officers of Grade 22 often seen as stronger than the federal government ministers. The service of PAS is generalist in nature and officers are assigned to different departments all across Pakistan during the course of their careers. Almost all of the country's highest-profile positions such as the Federal Secretaries, the provincial Chief Secretaries, and chairmen of top-heavy organizations like the National Highway Authority, Trading Corporation of Pakistan and State Life Insurance Corporation usually belong to the Pakistan Administrative Service.
The federal secretary is the highest-ranking position in the Government of Pakistan, occupied by the most senior civil servant in a specific ministry or division. The secretary is the administrative head of that ministry or division and oversees and enforces public policy matters. The authority for the creation of this post solely rests with the Cabinet of Pakistan. The position holder is a BPS-22 grade officer, usually belonging to the Pakistan Administrative Service.
The cabinet secretary of Pakistan is the federal secretary to the Cabinet of Pakistan. The Cabinet secretary serves as the administrative head of the Cabinet Division, providing policy advice to the prime minister and Cabinet. Usually the senior-most BPS-22 grade officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service is appointed to this post.
Sikandar Sultan Raja is a retired Pakistani civil servant who serves as the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan since January 2020. He belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service and is batchmates with Rizwan Ahmed, Hussain Asghar, Fawad Hasan Fawad and Jawad Rafique Malik.
Grade 22 is the highest attainable rank for a Civil Servant in Pakistan. Grade 22 is equal to a 3-star rank of the Pakistan Armed Forces. With over five hundred thousand civil servants and bureaucrats in Pakistan, only a few dozen officers serve in BPS-22 grade at a given time. Hence, not even 2% of the country's civil servants and/or bureaucrats make it to the highest rank. Officers serving in BPS-22 grade are largely considered to be the most influential individuals in the country.
The Establishment Division is the human resource arm of the Government of Pakistan. It deals with all matters related to the country's civil service and is regarded as one of the most sensitive and important divisions of the federal government. The division operates directly under the Prime Minister of Pakistan as the Minister In-charge. The Establishment Division, headed by the Federal Establishment Secretary, has a key role in recommending to the Prime Minister the right man for the right job in all government ministries, divisions and departments. According to the Civil Service Manual, the Establishment Secretary has the authority to single-handedly appoint or transfer officers up to Grade 20. A summary to the Prime Minister is sent only for grades 21 and 22 who being the competent authority, sends back the summary to the Establishment Division, where the Secretary issues the notification.
Syed Abu Ahmad Akif is a retired Pakistani civil servant who served in BPS-22 grade as the Cabinet Secretary and Climate Change Secretary of Pakistan. Akif belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service and was promoted to the rank of Federal Secretary by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2016. A topper of the 1982 CSS examinations, Akif is known for his performance as Director General of Pakistan's Hajj mission in Saudi Arabia from 2010 to 2015 and later as the longest serving Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change.
The Central Selection Board (CSB) of the Establishment Division is supposed to meet twice in a year to consider promotion opportunities for the appointed employees of Civil Service of Pakistan to BPS-20 grade and BPS-21 grade. The board is chaired by the chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), with its members being Establishment Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, four federal secretaries each having domicile of one of the four provinces and all four provincial chief secretaries. From the Parliament, one member of the Senate of Pakistan and one member of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNA) are appointed to sit on the board. The secretary of the board is Additional Secretary Establishment Division.
Muhammad Shehzad Arbab is a retired Pakistani civil servant who served as Advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Establishment from August 2018 to 10 April 2022. Before his retirement from civil services, Arbab served in BPS-22 grade as the Commerce Secretary of Pakistan and Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service and is batchmates with Tariq Bajwa, Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad and Sajjad Saleem Hotiana.
Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera is a retired Pakistani civil servant who served in BPS-22 grade, the highest attainable rank for a serving officer, as the Cabinet Secretary of Pakistan. Sukhera did his Bachelor's degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and obtained his Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University. Sukhera belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service and joined the civil service in 1985. He retired as the senior most grade 22 officer in the country in January 2023.
Iqbal Hussain Durrani is a retired Pakistani civil servant who served in BPS-22 grade as the National Security Secretary of Pakistan. Durrani belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service and is the son-in-law of former Chief Minister of Sindh, Qaim Ali Shah. History was made when Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019 promoted both Durrani as well as his wife, Pakistan Administrative Service officer Naheed Shah Durrani, to grade 22; as it was the first time in the country's bureaucratic history that both husband and wife were promoted together to the elite rank of Federal Secretary.
Maroof Afzal was a Pakistani civil servant who belonged to the Pakistan Administrative Service and served as the Establishment Secretary and Cabinet Secretary of Pakistan.
Fazal Abbas Maken is a retired Pakistani civil servant, belonging to the Pakistan Administrative Service, who retired in BPS-22 grade. He remained Cabinet Secretary of Pakistan from 14 August 2018 until his retirement on 21 March 2019.
Muhammad Azam Khan is a Grade 22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service. He has previously served as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Pakistan in Imran Khan's government. Prior to his stint in the federal government, he served as Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was nominated as the Executive Director World Bank in February, 2022 ,however his notification was cancelled by the PML-N federal government in August,2022.
Rao Sardar Ali Khan is a Pakistani civil servant and police officer who served as inspector-general of police (IGP) of the Punjab Police. He served from 8 September 2021 to 22 July 2022. He is currently serving as IG of Railway Police of Pakistan.
