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Government of Pakistan

The government of Pakistan is formed of Parliamentary system.

Two major figures of the government are the President and the Prime minister who run the government with support from Cabinet, Ministers, Civil Service, federal agencies and departments.

The President

The President is head of state and civilian Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The President is elected indirectly by the Parliament of Pakistan for a term of 5 years.

The President:

  • is a ceremonial figurehead
  • has no direct authority in running the government
  • can directly grant pardons, reprieves
  • appoints higher commands in military (with Prime Minister's advice)
  • confirms judicial appointments in national court system

The President of Pakistan is Asif Ali Zardari.

The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is head of government, leads different departments and National Command Authority over the nuclear arsenals. The Prime Minister is elected by members of the National Assembly for a term of 5 years.

The Prime Minister:

  • oversees the operations of Ministries, Civil Service and government agencies
  • can appoint members of government
  • is the leader of the house for National Assembly
  • chairs the Council of Common Interests
  • acts as chief advisor to the President

The Prime Minister of Pakistan is Shehbaz Sharif.

How government works

Based on Westminster system, the government is made up of 3 major branches:

  • Legislature
  • Executive
  • Judicial

Legislature

The Legislature is the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. The Parliament meetings are held regularly at the Parliament House in Islamabad.

The Parliament is made up of two legislative houses:

National Assembly is headed by the Speaker and Senate is headed by the Chairperson.

Executive

The Executive branch is responsible for running the state based on laws and policies set by the Legislature. The Executives are answerable to the Parliament.

The Executive is made up of:

  • The Prime Minister
  • Cabinet
  • Ministries
  • Advisors
  • Civil Service

The Cabinet

The Cabinet is made up of senior government officials chosen and lead by the Prime Minister. The Cabinet holds a weekly meeting presided by Cabinet Secretary who reports to the Prime Minister. Some of the Cabinet members are advisors to the Prime Minister.

The Cabinet Secretary is Kamran Ali Afzal.

Civil Service

The Civil Service of Pakistan is the permanent bureaucracy of the Government of Pakistan. It is considered as backbone of the state. The Civil Service is headed by the Establishment Secretary reporting directly to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the final authority in all matters of the Civil Service.

The Civil Service:

  • is also known as Central Superior Services
  • is responsible for running all civilian services and bureaucratic operations
  • have influence on defence, financial, internal and foreign policies
  • is made up of 12 directorates that provide vital office duties for the state
  • has a very competitive selection critera via CSS Examination conducted and supervised by Federal Public Service Commission (FSCP)

The Establishment Secretary is Nabeel Ahmad Awan.

Judicial

The Judicial branch is responsible for the justice system. It is made up of the nationwide network of District, Shariah, Anti-terrorism and other special courts, a High Court for each province and Islamabad, the Supreme Court of Pakistan and, since November 2025, the Federal Constitutional Court.

The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in civil and criminal cases. Constitutional cases are heard by the Federal Constitutional Court.

The Chief Justice is Yahya Afridi.

State Administration

Below the federal government, Pakistan is divided into 4 provinces and 3 territories. Each has its own government, and is divided further into districts and local governments.

Provinces

Each province has a Governor, appointed by the President to represent the federal government, and a Chief Minister who leads the provincial government. The Chief Minister is elected by the Provincial Assembly. Each province has its own High Court.

Territories

Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir are not provinces, but each has its own elected assembly, government and courts. Islamabad Capital Territory is run by the federal government.

Former tribal areas

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) had a special status under Article 247 of the Constitution. The 25th Constitutional Amendment, signed into law on 31 May 2018, removed that status and merged both into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They are now districts of the province.