Police Ranks in Pakistan Explained

Pakistan Police Infrastructure
Police Force Pay Scales
Senior Police Force Ranks
Junior Police Force Ranks

The most thankless profession in the world is that of a police officer. Police agencies are required to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s not like working in an office where you have weekends off, check out at 5 p.m. and make a lot of money. The police job lacks motivation when observed through the viewpoint of a corporate employee. Furthermore, they receive comparatively little gratitude from the general public. Nowadays, it is rare to witness someone celebrating or appreciating Pakistani Police.

Moreover, when we were children, we used to pretend and practice being in various police ranks in Pakistan. To be honest, we all wished to be police officers once in our lives. We all aspired to wear those dashing uniforms as children. We all wanted to give our peers salutes in return. Many people in Pakistan still desire to join the police force because of all of these memories which they made innocently.

Pakistan Police Infrastructure

Dolphin Force at Police Training College Lahore

Police in Pakistan are a significant part of Civil services infrastructure. However, there are 7 law enforcement agencies currently operating in Pakistan. Major 4 agencies perform their duties in the territories assigned by the Constitution of Pakistan. Those are;

The Punjab Police, who looks after security in the province of Punjab

The Sindh Police, who carry out their commitment in the Sindh province

The Balochistan Police, who execute their responsibilities in the Balochistan

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, who makes sure the safety of citizens Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

These four agencies report directly to the provincial government following the constitutional hierarchy. Meanwhile, 2 out of these 7, namely Azad Kashmir Police and Gilgit-Baltistan Police, serve the citizens in semi-autonomous regions of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan discreetly. The remaining one is the Capital Territory Police, which performs standard police duties in Islamabad. Meanwhile, operating directly under the control of the Ministry of the Interior.

It is very important to know that all the provinces in Pakistan are divided into divisions for administrative purposes. These divisions are further divided into districts. As districts are the third-order administrative divisions of Pakistan. Meanwhile, these districts are further split into Union Councils. Nonetheless, all the provinces have an Inspector General of Police, who is the chief officer of police in the province.

Nevertheless, Pakistan police are designated to serve the people living in every part of land that falls under its boundaries. All these officers go through a lot of exams and educational procedures to become eligible to serve the masses. Only the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination passed officers reach senior police ranks in Pakistan.

Pakistan Police Ranks and Pay Scales

There is a hierarchy that should be followed if you plan to join the Police Services of Pakistan (PSP). This hierarchy is based on education and expertise the individuals hold. There is no concept of mere talent and age of service to climb up the ladder. So it should be crystal clear that one must possess higher qualifications along with skills, command, mastery and the ability to resolve issues. Army vs Police ranks are almost same when it comes to Civil Services in Pakistan. However, there is a huge difference between the services they render to the state.

After you read today’s blog, you will easily recognize police ranks with stars in future. It is better to read our blog and have a better understanding of police ranks in Pakistan before you fall into any trouble with a police officer next time.

As we begin our adventure through police ranks in Pakistan, there are a few terms you should be familiar with. Those are;

BSC- it refers to the ‘Basic Pay Scale’ allotted by the Government of Pakistan

Gazetted Officer- it refers to the officers nominated by the Official Gazette of Pakistan

Division- A subdivision of a Province

District- A subdivision of a Division

Town- A subdivision of a District

The police ranks in Pakistan are categorized by the level of qualification individuals hold. These categories are; Senior Police Force Ranks and Junior Police Force Ranks.

Senior Police Force Ranks in Pakistan

Police officers possessing at least a bachelor’s degree from a reputable university, along with a career span of almost 5 years are eligible for such ranks. Police ranks in Pakistan of Senior ranks are as follow;

Inspector General of Police- (IGP/ IG)

Also known as the Provincial Police Officer (PPO), it is the highest rank in the police force. More precisely, an IG is appointed as the head police officer of any province. He is a top-class gazetted officer. This vacancy is filled by top-tier officers of the state. A Grade 22 officer, which is the highest attainable rank of Civil Services in Pakistan, is considered for the post.

Requirement: Candidate should possess a career span of almost 30 years

Salary: BPS Grade 22

Additional Inspector General of Police (Additional IG/ AIG)

An Additional IG is appointed to look after any particular region of a province. Primarily, AIGs are designated as capital cities. Meanwhile, they can be assigned to achieve any particular objective. He is a gazetted officer and usually, Grade 21 officers are chosen for such a position.

Requirement: Candidate should possess a career span of more than 25 years

Salary: BPS Grade 21

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)

IG is followed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). He is asked to serve as the administrative body of police reporting directly to the IGP. He can be assigned to overview any particular division of a province. Furthermore, DIGs are the Grade 20 gazetted officers.