The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the

Constitution of Pakistan The Constitution of Pakistan ( ur, ), also known as the 1973 Constitution, is the supreme law of Pakistan. Drafted by the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, with additional assistance from the country's Pakistani political parties, opposition ...

as a constituted

governing Governance is the process of interactions through the laws, norms, power or language of an organized society over a social system ( family, tribe, formal or informal organization, a territory or across territories). It is done by the gove ...

authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territories, and one federal territory of a

parliamentary democratic A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

, constitutionally called the

Islamic Republic of Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. Effecting the Westminster system for governing the state, the government is mainly composed of the

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...

, and

judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudication, adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and app ...

branches, in which all powers are vested by the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

in the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

and the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. The powers and duties of these branches are further defined by acts and amendments of the Parliament, including the creation of executive institutions, departments and courts inferior to the

. By constitutional powers, the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

promulgates ordinances and passes bills. The President acts as the ceremonial

figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...

while the people-elected

acts as the

Chief Executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

(of the executive branch) and is responsible for running the federal government. There is a bicameral Parliament with the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

as a

Lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

and the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

as an upper house. The most influential officials in the Government of Pakistan are considered to be the Federal Secretaries, who are the highest ranking

bureaucrats A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy and can compose the administration of any organization of any size, although the term usually connotes someone within an institution of government. The term ''bureaucrat'' derives from "bureaucracy", w ...

in the country and run cabinet-level ministries and divisions. The judicial branch systematically contains an apex

Federal Shariat Court The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) is a constitutional court of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which has the power to examine and determine whether the laws of the country comply with Sharia law. The court was established in 1980 during the gove ...

, High courts of five provinces, district,

anti-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...

, and the green courts; all inferior to the Supreme Court. The full name of the country is the ''Islamic Republic of Pakistan''. No other name appears in the Constitution, and this is the name that appears on money, in treaties, and in legal cases. The "Pakistan Government" or "Government of Pakistan" are often used in official documents representing the federal government collectively. Also, the terms "Federal" and "National" in government institutions or program names generally indicate affiliation with the federal government. As the

seat of government The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority". In most countries, the nation’s capital is also seat of its government, thus that ...

is in

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

, "Islamabad" is commonly used as a

metonym Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name' ...

for the federal government. On 4 August 2020, the Government released a new political map that maintained the Pakistani claims on

Junagadh Junagadh () is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. Literally t ...

Manavadar Manavadar is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district of India. History Bantva Manavadar was a princely state of British India. Founded in 1733, it became a British protectorate in 1818. On 25 September 1947, it acceded to the newly for ...

, and

Sir Creek Sir Creek ( ), originally Ban Ganga, is a 96-km (60-mi) tidal estuary in the uninhabited marshlands of the Indus River Delta on the border between India and Pakistan. The creek flows into the Arabian Sea and separates Gujarat state in India fro ...

. The map also showed the Islands of

Churna Churna (Sanskrit: चूर्ण "powder") is a mixture of powdered herbs and or minerals used in Ayurvedic medicine. Triphala is an example of a classic Ayurvedic Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Ind ...

and

Astola Astola Island ( ur, ) also known as ''Jezira Haft Talar'' (Urdu, ) ''Satadip'' or 'Island of the Seven Hills', is a small uninhabited Pakistani island in the Arabian Sea approximately south of the nearest part of the coast and southeast of the ...

as part of Pakistan for the first time.

Federal law and Constitution

The

established and constituted the federal government of four provinces of federation of nation-state, known as State of Pakistan. The Constitution reads as: The basic

civil Civil may refer to: *Civic virtue, or civility *Civil action, or lawsuit * Civil affairs *Civil and political rights *Civil disobedience *Civil engineering *Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism *Civilian, someone not a membe ...

and criminal laws governing the citizens of Pakistan are set down in major parliamentary legislation (a term inherited from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

), such as the

Exit Control List The Exit Control Lists (ECL; ur, ) is a system of border control maintained by the Government of Pakistan under Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance, 1981. The people on the list are prohibited from leaving Pakistan. Priorities 1. Exit from P ...

, the

Pakistan Penal Code The Pakistan Penal Code (; ), abbreviated as PPC, is a penal code for all offences charged in Pakistan. It was originally prepared by Lord Macaulay with a great consultation in 1860 on the behalf of the Government of India as the Indian Penal ...

, and the

Frontier Crimes Regulations The Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) were a special set of laws of British India, and which were applicable to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). They were enacted by in the nineteenth century and remained in effect in Pakistan un ...

. By th
Article 246th
an

to the constitution, the Islamic ''

Jirga A jirga ( ps, جرګه, ''jərga'') is an assembly of leaders that makes decisions by consensus according to Pashtunwali, the Pashtuns, Pashtun social code. It is conducted in order to settle disputes among the Pashtuns, but also by members of oth ...

'' (or ''Panchayat'') system has become an institution for local governance. The 1950s reforms in the government administration, the constitutional law and jurisprudence in Pakistan have been greatly influenced by the United States Of America ' legal system. Since the 1970s, the traditional

jirga A jirga ( ps, جرګه, ''jərga'') is an assembly of leaders that makes decisions by consensus according to Pashtunwali, the Pashtuns, Pashtun social code. It is conducted in order to settle disputes among the Pashtuns, but also by members of oth ...

-based law has also been in place in a few areas, and has influenced the country's judicial development.

Branches of government

Legislative branch

The legislative branch has two houses, which combined are known as the Parliament of Pakistan * The

is the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

and has 342 members. 272 are elected directly by the people, while 60 seats are reserved for women and 10 seats for religious minorities. * The

is the

upper house An upper house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smalle ...

and has 104 senators elected indirectly by members of provincial assemblies for six-year terms. The Parliament enjoys

parliamentary supremacy Parliamentary sovereignty, also called parliamentary supremacy or legislative supremacy, is a concept in the constitutional law of some parliamentary democracies. It holds that the legislative body has absolute sovereignty and is supreme over all ...

. All the Cabinet ministers as well as the Prime Minister must be members of Parliament (MPs), according to the constitution. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ministers are jointly accountable to the Parliament. If there is a policy failure or lapse on the part of the government, all the members of the cabinet are jointly responsible. If a

vote of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...

is passed against the government, then the government collapses and a new one must be formed.

Executive branch

By general definition, the

executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state. In poli ...

of government is the one that has sole

authority In the fields of sociology and political science, authority is the legitimate power of a person or group over other people. In a civil state, ''authority'' is practiced in ways such a judicial branch or an executive branch of government.''The N ...

and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the republican idea of the

separation of powers Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with those of the other branches. The typic ...

. The separation of powers system is designed to distribute authority away from the executive branch – an attempt to preserve individual liberty in response to tyrannical leadership throughout history.

Prime Minister and Cabinet

The

Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan ( ur, , romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen cabinet, despite the president of Paki ...

(

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...

of Pakistan, constitutionally designated as the

(CE). Popularly elected by direct elections in the parliament, the Prime minister is responsible for appointing a cabinet as well as running the government operations. The Prime Minister makes key appointments on various important positions, including; * The federal secretaries as head of cabinet- level ministries * The chief secretaries of the provinces * Key administrative and military personnel in the

Pakistan Armed Forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consist of three formally uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are ...

* The chairmen of large public sector organisations and corporations such as NHA, TCP, PIA, PNSC etc. * The chairmen and other members of the federal commissions and public institutions * Ambassadors and High Commissioners to other countries The

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

can have a maximum of 11 percent (50 members including the Prime Minister) of the total strength of the

. Each Cabinet member must be a member of Parliament (MP). The

Cabinet Ministers A cabinet is a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the executive branch's top leaders. Members of a cabinet are usually called cabinet ministers or secretaries. The function of a cabinet varies: in some countrie ...

chair the Cabinet and are further assisted by the

Cabinet Secretary of Pakistan The cabinet secretary of Pakistan (Urdu: ) 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 ...

, whose appointment comes from the

Civil Services The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

of Pakistan. Other Ministers are

Ministers of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...

, junior members who report directly to one of the Cabinet Ministers, often overseeing a specific aspect of government. Once appointed by the Prime Minister, all Cabinet Ministers are officially confirmed to their appointment offices by the President in a special oath of ceremony.

President

The

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

representing the unity of the country. Elected for a five-year term by an indirect election, the electoral college consisting of members of the Senate, National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies, the president is now not eligible for reelection (18th amendment). However no individual may hold the office for more than two consecutive terms. The president may resign or be impeached and removed from office for incapacity or gross misconduct by a two-thirds vote of the members of the parliament. The President enjoys all constitutional powers and exercises them directly or through officers subordinate to him as per the aforesaid Article 41-Article 47. The President is responsible for making a wide variety of appointments. These include: *

Governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the Four Provinces * The Chief Justice (after concluding the consultation with the Prime Minister) * The Chief Election Commissioner (Consultation required from the Prime Minister) * The

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

and

Comptroller and Auditor General An auditor general, also known in some countries as a comptroller general or comptroller and auditor general, is a senior civil servant charged with improving government accountability by auditing and reporting on the government's operations. Fre ...

The President, as Head of State also receives the credentials of Ambassadors from other countries, whilst the Prime Minister, as Head of Government, receives credentials of High Commissioners from other members of the Commonwealth, in line with historical tradition. The President is the civilian Commander in Chief of the

. The President of Pakistan can grant a pardon to or reduce the sentence, reprieve and respite, and remit, suspend or commute any sentence passed by any court, tribunal or other authority, particularly in cases involving a death sentence. The decisions involving pardoning and other rights by the President are independent of the opinion of the Prime Minister or the Parliamentary majority. In most other cases, however, the President exercises his or her executive powers on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Judicial branch

Pakistan's independent judicial system began under the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

, and its concepts and procedures resemble those of

Anglo-Saxon countries The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking nations that share historical and cultural ties with England, and which today maintain close political, diplomatic and military co-operation. While the nations included in different sources vary, t ...

. Institutional and judicial procedures were later changed, in 1950s, under the influence of American legal system to remove the fundamental rights problems. The judiciary consists of the

Supreme Court of Pakistan The Supreme Court of Pakistan ( ur, ; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Established in accordance to thePart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it has ultimate a ...

, Provincial High Courts, District Courts, Anti-terrorism courts, ''Sharia'' courts, and Environmental courts all over the country; Supreme Court being the superior court. The Supreme Court of Pakistan consists of a Chief Justice, and Senior Justices appointed by the President after consultation with the

Chief Justice of Pakistan } The Chief Justice of Pakistan (Urdu: ) (Initialism, initials as CJP) is head of the court system of Pakistan (the Judiciary of Pakistan, judicature branch of Government of Pakistan, government) and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Paki ...

. The Constitution does not fix the number of justices of the Supreme Court, though it can be fixed by Parliament through an act signed by the President.

Judicature transfer

The Constitution grants powers to the Supreme Court to make judicature transfers. Although the proceedings in the Supreme Court arise out of the judgement or orders made by the subordinate courts, the Supreme Court reserves the right to transfer any case, appeal or proceedings pending before any High Court to any other High Court.

Supreme Judicial Council

Misconduct of judges is highly intolerable as is mentioned in the constitution. Under the mainframe of the Supreme Judicial Councilbr>Article 209
an inquiry into the capacity or conduct of a Judge, who is a member of the council, may be conducted.

Civil service

The civil service of Pakistan is the permanent bureaucracy of the Government of Pakistan. The civil servants are the permanent officials of the government, occupying a respected image in the

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.Pakistan Administrative Service The Pakistan Administrative Service, or PAS ( ur, ) (previously known as the District Management Group or DMG before 1 June 2012) is an elite cadre of the Civil Services of Pakistan. The Pakistan Administrative Service over the years has emerg ...

Police Service of Pakistan Law enforcement in Pakistan ( ur, ) is one of the three main components of the criminal justice system of Pakistan, alongside the judiciary and the prisons. The country has a mix of federal, provincial and territorial police forces with both gen ...

etc.) after passing the CSS examinations. Not all the employees of the Government of Pakistan are civil servants; other employees of the Government of Pakistan come from the scientific institutions, state-owned corporations and commissioned military science circles. In the

parliamentary democracy A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

, the ultimate responsibility for running the administration rests with the elected representatives of the people who are the ministers. These ministers are accountable to the legislatures which are also elected by the people on the basis of universal adult suffrage. The cabinet and its ministers are expected to lay down the policy guidelines, and the civil servants are responsible for implementing and enforcing it.

Federal secretaries

The federal secretaries are the most senior, experienced, and capable officials in the country. Each ministry/division has its Secretary to oversee and enforce the public policy matters. The secretaries, who are basic pay scale (BPS)-22 grade officers, are largely considered to be the most powerful officials in the country. Due to the importance of their respective assignments, there are twelve specific federal secretaries which are considered to be the most vital in the Government of Pakistan. These include the Secretary Establishment (responsible for civil service matters), Secretary Commerce (responsible for trade), Secretary Cabinet (responsible for Cabinet Division), Secretary to the Prime Minister (responsible for Prime Minister's Office), Secretary Interior (responsible for law and order), Secretary Finance (responsible for the country's treasury), Secretary Foreign Affairs (responsible for foreign relations), Secretary Maritime Affairs (responsible for ports and shipping), Secretary Power (responsible for the electricity and power sector), Secretary Planning and Development (responsible for development projects), Secretary Petroleum (responsible for the petroleum sector) and Secretary Industries (responsible for industrial development). Management of major crisis situations in the country and coordination of activities of the various Ministries in such situations are the functions of the

Cabinet Division The Cabinet Division ( bn, মন্ত্রিপরিষদ বিভাগ) is the executive office of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. As a division of the Government of Bangladesh, the office is responsible for the executive administrat ...

. Appointment for the chairman of the FPSC, the prestigious body responsible for the recruitment of elite bureaucrats, is made by the President after consulting the Prime Minister, according to Article 242 of the Constitution.

Elections and voting system

Since 1947, Pakistan has an asymmetric federal government, with elected officials at the national (federal), provincial, tribal, and local levels. Constitution has set the limit of government for five years, but if a

Vote of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...

movements takes place in the parliament (and prelude of movements are proved at the Judicial branch), the government falls and immediately replaced with

caretaker government A caretaker government is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it usually consists of either randomly se ...

initiated by the president (consultation of Prime Minister also required to make such move), in regards to Article 58 of the constitution. There has been four times that the

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

has been in effect, and controversially approved by the supreme court. Through a general election where the leader of the majority winning party is selected to be the Prime Minister. All members of the federal legislature, the Parliament, are directly elected. Elections in Pakistan take place every five years by universal adult suffrage.

Administration and governments

Provincial and Local governments

There are four provincial governments that rule the four provinces of the state. The

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

heads the provincial government. All provincial assemblies are

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...

, elected for five years. The

appointed by President after consulting the Prime minister, act only as representatives of federal government in the province and do not have any part in running the government. The provincial governments tend to have the greatest influence over most

Pakistanis Pakistanis ( ur, , translit=Pākistānī Qaum, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. According to the 2017 Pakistani national census, the population of Pakistan stood at over 213 million people, making it the w ...

' daily lives. The

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

and

Local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

functions at the basic level. It is the third level of government, consisting ''Jirga'' in rural tribal areas.

Finances

Taxation and budget

Pakistan has a complex taxation system of more than 70 unique

tax A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...

es administered by at least 37 tax collection institutions of the Government of Pakistan. Taxation is a debated and controversial issue in public and political science circle of the country, and according to the

International Development Committee The International Development Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the Committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the international aid functions of ...

, Pakistan had a lower-than-average tax take. Only 0.57% of Pakistanis, or 768,000 people out of a population of 190 million pay income tax. The

Finance Minister of Pakistan The Minister of Finance of Pakistan (Urdu: 'Wazīr-ē-Khazana') is a leading cabinet member who heads the Ministry of Finance in the Government of Pakistan. The Minister is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget to ...

presents the annual federal budget in the Parliament in the midst of the year, and it has to be passed by both houses of the

. The budget is preceded by an economic survey which outlines the broad direction of the budget and the economic performance of the country for the outgoing financial fiscal year.

National Finance Commission program overview

Constituted under th
Article 160
of the

by the Constitution, the

National Finance Commission Award The National Finance Commission Award or NFC is a series of planned economic programs in Pakistan enacted since 1951. Constituted under thArticle 160of the Constitution, the program was emerged to take control of financial imbalances and equally ...

(NFC) program is a series of planned economic programs to take control of financial imbalances and equally manage the financial resources for the four provinces to meet their expenditure liabilities while alleviating the horizontal fiscal imbalances. According to stipulations and directions of the Constitution, the

provisional governments A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...

and Federal government compete to get higher share of the program's revenues in order to stabilize their own financial status.

Ministries and divisions

Departments

* Abdus Salam Centre for Physics ** Centre for Earthquake Studies * Academy of Educational Planning and Management *

Pakistan Electric Power Company Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) ( ur, ) is a holding company and operates as a division of the Ministry of Water and Power (Pakistan) The Ministry of Water and Power ur, , ''wazarat-e- aabb o barq-e'' (abbreviated as MoPW) was a fe ...

* Accountant General Pakistan Revenues *

Airports Security Force The Airports Security Force (ASF) ( ur, ) is a federal agency under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation which is responsible for protecting the airports, facilities and the planes (on-ground ...

Aiwan-e-Iqbal Aiwan-e-Iqbal (Urdu: ) is an office complex and monument in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan under the administrative control of Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage. The building is named after poet and politician Allama Muham ...

Alternative Energy Development Board The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) ( ur, ) is the sole representing agency of the Federal Government that was established in May 2003 with the main objective to facilitate, promote and encourage development of Renewable Energy in Pak ...

* Akthar Hameed Khan National Centre for Rural Development *

Animal Quarantine Department The Animal Quarantine Department (AQD) ( ur, ) is an attached department of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, responsible for animal quarantine, inspection and certification services in Pakistan. AQD is the lead agency for col ...

Anti-Narcotics Force The Anti-Narcotics Force ( ur, , reporting name: ''ANF'') is a federal executive bureau of the Government of Pakistan, tasked with combating the narcotics smuggling and use within Pakistan. ANF works under the umbrella of Pakistan Army and Mi ...

* Armament Research and Development Establishment *

Associated Press of Pakistan Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) ( ur, ) is a government-operated national news agency of Pakistan. APP has News Exchange Agreements with 37 Foreign News Agencies and has more than 500 correspondents. History Lack of financial resources Fol ...

Attorney-General for Pakistan The Attorney-General for Pakistan is the chief law officer and legal advisor of the Government of Pakistan and enjoys rights of audience before Parliament. The Attorney-General, who serves as Pakistan's public prosecutor, is nominated by the Prime ...

* Auditor General of Pakistan * Pakistan Board of Investment, Board of Investment * Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment * Cabinet Committee on National Security (Pakistan), Cabinet Committee on National Security * Capital Development Authority (Islamabad), Capital Development Authority * Central Board of Film Censors * Central Power Purchasing Agency * Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees * Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, Civil Aviation Authority * College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan * Controller General of Accounts (Pakistan), Controller General of Accounts * Competition Commission of Pakistan * Construction Technology Training Institute * Council for Work and Housing Research * Council of Common Interests * Council of Islamic Ideology * Defence Export Promotion Organization (Pakistan), Defence Export Promotion Organization * Defence Science and Technology Organization (Pakistan), Defence Science and Technology Organisation * Department of Archeology and Museums * Department of Communications Security * Department of Plant Protection (Pakistan), Department of Plant Protection * Department of Stationery and Forms * Directorate General of Civil Defence (Pakistan), Directorate General of Civil Defence ** Civil Defence Academy ** National Institute of Fire Technology * Directorate General of Defence Purchase * Directorate General of Immigration & Passports, Directorate General of Immigration and Passports * Directorate General of Munitions Production * Directorate General of Special Education and Social Welfare * Directorate General of Trade Organisations * Directorate of Electronic Media and Publication * Directorate of Workers Education * Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan * Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority * Economic Coordination Committee (Pakistan), Economic Coordination Committee * Election Commission of Pakistan * Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution * ENAR Petrotech Services * Engineering Development Board * Estate Office * Export Development Fund * Export–Import Bank of Pakistan * Export Processing Zone Authority * Evacuee Trust Property Board ** Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee * Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education * Federal Board of Revenue (Pakistan), Federal Board of Revenue ** Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation * Federal Directorate of Education * Federal Employees Benevolent and Group Insurance Fund * Federal Flood Commission * Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation * Federal Investigation Agency * National Response Centre for Cyber Crime * Federal Land Commission * Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan * Federal Public Service Commission ** Civil Services Academy Lahore, Civil Services Academy * Federal Judicial Academy (Pakistan), Federal Judicial Academy * Financial Monitoring Unit * Fisheries Development Board * Foreign Service of Pakistan ** Foreign Service Academy * Civil Armed Forces ** Frontier Constabulary ** Frontier Corps ** Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts ** Pakistan Rangers * The Gazette of Pakistan, Gazette of Pakistan * Geological Survey of Pakistan * Global Change Impact Studies Centre * Government Holdings Private Limited * Government Shipping Office * Gwadar Port, Gwadar Port Authority * Heavy Electrical Complex * Heavy Industries Taxila * Higher Education Commission of Pakistan * Human Organ Transplant Authority * Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan * Ignite National Technology Fund * Institute of Bankers Pakistan * Indus River System Authority * Institute of Regional Studies * Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan * Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan * Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan * Institute of Optronics * Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad * Intelligence Bureau (Pakistan), Intelligence Bureau * Inter-Services Intelligence * Inter-State Gas Systems Limited * Iqbal Academy Pakistan, Iqbal Academy *ICT Administration, Islamabad Capital Territory Administration ** Capital Territory Police, Islamabad Police *** Islamabad Traffic Police * Karachi Shipyard, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works * Karachi Port Trust * Khan Research Laboratories * Lakhara Coal Development Company * Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan * Livestock and Dairy Development Board * Management Services Wing * Marine Fisheries Department * Pakistan Maritime Security Agency * Mercantile Marine Department * Cantonments (Pakistan), Military Lands and Cantonments Department * Military Vehicles Research and Development Establishment * National Academy for Prisons Administration * National Academy of Performing Arts (Pakistan), National Academy of Performing Arts * National Accountability Bureau * National Archives of Pakistan * National Bioethics Committee * National Book Foundation * National Command Authority (Pakistan) ** Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Security ** Strategic Plans Division Force * National Commission for Child Welfare and Development * National Commission for Government Reforms * National Commission for Human Development ** Pakistan Human Development Fund * National Commission for Human Rights * National Commission on the Status of Women * National Counter Terrorism Authority * National Crises Management Cell * National Database and Registration Authority * National Disaster Management Authority (Pakistan), National Disaster Management Authority ** National Institute of Disaster Management * National Education Assessment System * National Education Foundation * National Electric Power Regulatory Authority * National Energy Conservation Centre * National Engineering and Scientific Commission ** Air Weapons Complex ** National Development Complex * NESPAK, National Engineering Services Pakistan * National Fertilizer Corporation * National Fertilizer Marketing Limited * National Forensic Science Agency * National Highway Authority * National Highways & Motorway Police, National Highways and Motorway Police * National Industrial Parks Development and Management Company * National Industrial Relations Commission * National Information Technology Board * National Institute of Electronics (Pakistan), National Institute of Electronics * Lok Virsa Museum, National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage * National Institute of Health (Pakistan), National Institute of Health * National Institute of Oceanography (Pakistan), National Institute of Oceanography ** Pakistan Antarctic Programme * National Institute of Population Studies * National Institute of Science and Technical Education * National Insurance Company * National Intelligence Directorate (Pakistan), National Intelligence Directorate * National Language Promotion Department * National Library of Pakistan * National Logistics Cell * National Museum of Pakistan * National Police Academy of Pakistan, National Police Academy * National Police Bureau * National Productivity Organization * National Radio Telecommunications Corporation * National School of Public Policy * National Security Council (Pakistan), National Security Council * National Telecommunication Corporation (Pakistan), National Telecommunication Corporation * National Textile University * National Tariff Commission * National Training Bureau * National Transmission & Despatch Company, National Transmission and Despatch Company * National Transport Research Centre * National University of Sciences and Technology (Pakistan), National University of Sciences and Technology * National Veterinary Lab * National Vocational and Technical Training Commission * Oil and Gas Development Company * Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority * Overseas Employment Corporation * Overseas Pakistani#Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation * Pakistan Academy for Rural Development * Pakistan Academy of Letters * Pakistan Aeronautical Complex * Pakistan Agricultural Research Council ** National Agricultural Research Centre * Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation * Pak-Arab Refinery, Pak-Arab Refinery Company *

** Inter-Services Public Relations ** Inter Services Selection Board ** National Defence University, Pakistan, National Defence University *** Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis ** Pakistan Air Force *** Air Intelligence *** Pakistan Air Force Academy ** Pakistan Army ** National Guard of Pakistan, National Guard *** Defence Housing Authority *** Frontier Works Organisation *** Military Intelligence (Pakistan), Military Intelligence *** Pakistan Military Academy ** Pakistan Navy *** Naval Intelligence (Pakistan), Naval Intelligence *** Pakistan Marines *** Pakistan Naval Academy * Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission ** Chashma Nuclear Power Plant#Nuclear Engineering Training center, CHASNUPP Centre for Nuclear Training ** KANUPP Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering ** National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering ** Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology ** Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture ** Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology * Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal * Pakistan Bar Council * Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation * Pakistan Bureau of Statistics * Pakistan Coast Guards * Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters * Pakistan Cotton Standards Institute * Pakistan Council for Architects and Town Planners * Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies * Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources * Pakistan Council for Science and Technology ** National Commission for Science and Technology * Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research * Pakistan Cricket Board * Pakistan Customs * Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority * Pakistan Engineering Company * Pakistan Engineering Council * Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency * Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company * Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company * Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company * Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation * Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre * Pakistan Infrastructure Bank * Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services * Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design * Pakistan Institute of Management * Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences * Pakistan Institute of Public Finance Accountants * Pakistan Institute of Trade and Development * Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines Corporation * Pakistan LNG Limited * Pakistan LNG Terminals Limited * Pakistan Machine Tool Factory * Pakistan Manpower Institute * Pakistan Marine Academy * Pakistan Medical and Dental Council * Pakistan Health Research Council * Pakistan Meteorological Department ** National Agromet Centre * Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation * Pakistan National Accreditation Council * Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO * Pakistan National Council of the Arts * Pakistan Merchant Navy#Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation * Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority * Pakistan Nursing Council * Pakistan Oilseed Development Board * Pakistan Ordnance Factories * Pakistan Petroleum * Pakistan Post * Pakistan Public Works Department * Pakistan Railways ** Pakistan Railways Academy * Pakistan Reinsurance Company Limited * Pakistan Science Foundation ** Pakistan Museum of Natural History ** Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Centre * Pakistan Software Export Board * Pakistan Sports Board * Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority * Pakistan State Oil * Pakistan Steel Mills * Pakistan Stone Development Company * Pakistan Telecommunication Authority * ptcl, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited * Pakistan Television Corporation ** PTV Academy * PTDC, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation * Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council * PHA Foundation * Pharmacy Council of Pakistan * Planning Commission (Pakistan), Planning Commission of Pakistan ** National Fertilizer Development Centre ** Pakistan Institute of Development Economics ** Pakistan Planning and Management Institute * Port Qasim, Port Qasim Authority * Power Information Technology Company * Press Council of Pakistan * Printing Corporation of Pakistan * Private Educational Institution Regulatory Authority * Private Power and Infrastructure Board * Public Private Partnership Authority * Public Procurement Regulatory Authority * Quaid-i-Azam Academy, Quaid-e-Azam Academy * Quaid-e-Azam Mazar Management Board * Ruet-e-Hilal Committee * Saindak Metals Limited * Secretariat Training Institute * Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan * Pakistan Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority * Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission of Pakistan ** Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics *** KU Observatory ** Institute of Space Technology ** Pakistan Mission Control Centre ** SUPARCO Satellite Ground Station, Satellite Ground Station ** Sonmiani (space facility), Sonmiani Spaceport ** Tilla Satellite Launch Centre * Special Communications Organization * Staff Welfare Organization * State Bank of Pakistan ** National Institute of Banking and Finance (Pakistan), National Institute of Banking and Finance ** Pakistan Mint * State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan * Strategic Export Control Division * Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited * Sui Southern Gas Company * Survey of Pakistan * Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company * Textile Commissioner's Organization * Trade Development Authority (Pakistan), Trade Development Authority of Pakistan * Trade Dispute Resolution Organization * Trading Corporation of Pakistan * Utility Stores Corporation * Virtual University of Pakistan * Metallurgical Laboratory (Wah), Wah Metallurgical Laboratory * Water and Power Development Authority * Workers Welfare Fund * Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited * Zoological Survey Department of Pakistan, Zoological Survey Department

References

External links

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YouTube channel

The President of Pakistan

Senate of Pakistan

National Assembly of Pakistan

Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan

Supreme Court of Pakistan

List of E-Services provided by Government of Pakistan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Government of Pakistan Government of Pakistan, Asian governments Pakistan federal departments and agencies, *