TheFederal Secretary (also referred to as theSecretary to the Government of Pakistan) is the highest-ranking position in theGovernment of Pakistan, occupied by the most seniorcivil 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.[1][2] The authority for the creation of this post solely rests with theCabinet of Pakistan. The position holder is aBPS-22 grade officer, usually belonging to thePakistan Administrative Service.[3][4][5]
All promotions and appointments to this rank and post are directly made by theprime minister of Pakistan.[6][7] The post of federal secretary is equivalent to that ofchief secretary of a provincial government (within their respective provinces) and to the rank of General in thePakistan Army, Air Chief Marshal in thePakistan Air Force, and Admiral in thePakistan Navy.[8][9]
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 theestablishment secretary (responsible for civil service matters),finance secretary (responsible for the country's treasury),secretary to the prime minister (responsible for Prime Minister's Office),cabinet secretary (responsible for the Cabinet Division),interior secretary (responsible for law and order),commerce secretary (responsible for trade),foreign secretary (responsible for foreign relations),maritime secretary (responsible for ports and shipping),power secretary (responsible for the electricity and power sector),planning and development secretary (responsible for development projects),petroleum secretary (responsible for the petroleum sector), andindustry secretary (responsible for industrial development).[10]
The federal secretary is the administrative head of the ministry or division,[11] and oversees all matters of policy and administration within the ministry or /division.[12]
The role of secretary is as follows:[12]
The federal secretaries are the most senior and experienced officers in the country and are largely considered to be the most powerful individuals in the government.[13][14][15][16] Promotion to the rank of federal secretary is regarded as a very tough task given the high level of scrutiny taken into place when the promotions are done by the High Powered Selection Board (HPSB) which is chaired by the prime minister.[17] As the career service of federal secretaries and otherbureaucrats are immune to the transition of political governments, they are seen as the real policy-makers who govern the country and serve as the spinal cord for theestablishment.[18]