A. Federal Executive, Cabinet & Secretariat

Scope: Federal political executive, Cabinet, Ministries/Divisions and the federal secretariat hierarchy. Current portfolio lists are a 30 September 2026 snapshot.

1. Political executive vs permanent executive

Under the federal Rules of Business, Cabinet means the Prime Minister and the Federal Ministers. A Division is a self-contained administrative unit responsible for a distinct sphere of federal business; the Divisions/Ministries collectively constitute the Federal Secretariat.

2. Federal hierarchy

President (constitutional head)
        ↓
Prime Minister (head of Federal Government)
        ↓
Federal Cabinet
        ↓
Minister-in-Charge of Ministry/Division
        ↓
Secretary — official/administrative head
        ↓
Additional Secretary
        ↓
Joint Secretary
        ↓
Deputy Secretary
        ↓
Section Officer
        ↓
Section / ministerial staff
        ↓
Attached Departments / Subordinate Offices / Authorities / Autonomous Bodies
        ↓
Field Formations

🧠

CSS distinction: The Minister is not the senior bureaucrat. The Secretary is the career administrative head of the Division and principal adviser on administration within the Rules of Business.

3. What each federal secretariat level does

• Secretary: official head of the Ministry/Division; responsible for efficient administration, proper conduct of business, delegation, coordination and ensuring cases sent to the Minister/PM/Cabinet are complete.
• Additional Secretary / Joint Secretary: manages a defined sphere/wing; assumes responsibility for cases in that sphere and handles major coordination/policy work.
• Deputy Secretary: normally disposes cases where no major policy question is involved and cases delegated to that level.
• Section Officer: handles a Section; disposes routine/precedent-based cases within delegated authority, prepares notes/drafts and moves cases upward where necessary.
• Attached Department / Directorate: normally performs executive, regulatory, professional or technical functions under the policy framework of the Division.

4. Current federal Ministries and Divisions — complete official directory

As listed by Cabinet Division on 30 September 2026:

1. Cabinet Secretariat — Cabinet Division; Establishment Division; Intelligence Bureau Division; National Security Division; Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) Division.
2. Climate Change and Environmental Coordination — Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Division.
3. Commerce — Commerce Division.
4. Communications — Communications Division.
5. Defence — Defence Division.
6. Defence Production — Defence Production Division.
7. Economic Affairs — Economic Affairs Division.
8. Energy — Power Division; Petroleum Division.
9. Federal Education, Professional Training, National Heritage & Culture — Federal Education and Professional Training Division; National Heritage & Culture Division.
10. Finance & Revenue — Finance Division; Revenue Division.
11. Foreign Affairs — Foreign Affairs Division.
12. Housing and Works — Housing & Works Division.
13. Human Rights — Human Rights Division.
14. Industries and Production — Industries and Production Division.
15. Information and Broadcasting — Information and Broadcasting Division.
16. Information Technology and Telecommunication — Information Technology & Telecommunication Division.
17. Interior and Narcotics Control — Interior and Narcotics Control Division.
18. Inter-Provincial Coordination — Inter Provincial Coordination Division.
19. Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions — corresponding Division.
20. Law and Justice — Law and Justice Division.
21. Maritime Affairs — Maritime Affairs Division.
22. National Food Security and Research — National Food Security and Research Division.
23. National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination — NHSR&C Division.
24. Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development — OP&HRD Division.
25. Parliamentary Affairs — Parliamentary Affairs Division.
26. Planning, Development & Special Initiatives — Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Division.
27. Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety — Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division.
28. Privatisation — Privatisation Division.
29. Railways — Railways Division.
30. Religious Affairs and Inter Faith Harmony — Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Division.
31. Science and Technology — Science and Technology Division.
32. Water Resources — Water Resources Division.

5. Current Federal Ministers — snapshot, 30 September 2026

⚠️

Do not memorise these names as permanent facts. Portfolios change. Use the list to understand the Cabinet–Ministry relationship and verify again before the exam.

Ministers of State — current snapshot

• Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan — National Food Security & Research.
• Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju — Power; additional portfolio Public Affairs Unit.
• Aqeel Malik — Law & Justice.
• Bilal Azhar Kayani — Railways; additional responsibilities including Finance & Revenue and PM Delivery Unit.
• Kesoo Mal Kheal Das — Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony.
• Mohammad Awn Saqlain — Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development.
• Mukhtar Ahmad Malik — National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination.
• Talal Chaudhry — Interior & Narcotics Control.
• Wajiha Qamar — Federal Education & Professional Training.
• Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani — Planning, Development & Special Initiatives.
• Dr. Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal — Climate Change & Environmental Coordination.

6. Ministry, Division, attached department and autonomous body

MINISTRY / POLITICAL PORTFOLIO
        ↓
DIVISION / FEDERAL SECRETARIAT
Secretary + secretariat officers
        ↓
ATTACHED DEPARTMENT / SUBORDINATE OFFICE
technical or executive head
        ↓
FIELD FORMATIONS
        ↓
CITIZEN / regulated sector / service user

• Ministry: broad political/portfolio label.
• Division: formal administrative unit to which federal business is allocated.
• Attached Department: executive/technical body directly related to a Division.
• Autonomous / semi-autonomous body: statutory or corporatized organization with a separate board/authority but administrative linkage to a ministry.
• Field formation: regional, zonal, collectorate, directorate, circle or district office that executes policy.

7. Cabinet committees and collective government

Cabinet may delegate detailed consideration to Cabinet Committees. For CSS, remember:

• Full Cabinet provides collective political decision-making.
• Cabinet Division supports Cabinet business and records/coordinates decisions.
• Ministries prepare summaries/cases through their Divisions.
• Secretaries ensure administrative completeness before cases reach political decision-makers.

📖 Official sources

• Cabinet Division — current Ministries and Divisions
• Cabinet Division — Federal Ministers
• Cabinet Division — Ministers of State
• Cabinet Division — Rules of Business
• Establishment Division — Secretariat Instructions