Deputation Rules 2026: Period, Allowance & Process

Deputation in Pakistan means a government servant is posted, for a fixed period, to a post in a department or service altogether different from the one to which he permanently belongs. The officer keeps his lien in his parent department, draws a deputation allowance on top of his pay, and returns to his parent department when the period ends.

This guide covers the deputation rules in full: the period, the allowance, who approves it, the process, and what happens when the period ends.

Deputation at a glance#

The federal deputation rules set a normal period of three years, a maximum of five, and an allowance of 20% of basic pay.

What is deputation#

Deputation means a government servant is appointed or transferred, through the process of selection, to a post in a department or service altogether different from the one to which he permanently belongs.

He stays a deputationist while he holds the new post in an officiating or temporary capacity. He stops being one on confirmation in the new post or on reversion to his substantive post. That is the Supreme Court’s definition, in PLD 1981 SC 531.

The old name for the same thing was “foreign service in Pakistan”: service in an organisation other than the parent department, within Pakistan, not service abroad. The words “to foreign service in Pakistan” were deleted and replaced with “on deputation” by Establishment Division OM No.1/13/87-R.I, 4 April 2007.

Deputation is not a method of appointment. Under rule 3 of the Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules, 1973, appointments are made only by promotion, by transfer or by initial appointment. Filling a post through deputation, if the recruitment rules do not provide for it, delays or stops the promotions of departmental personnel and affects the initial-appointment quota.

Deputation is exceptional. It is used only when the borrowing department needs expertise it does not have.

The Supreme Court (2024 SCMR 188) says recruitment by deputation is needed only in exceptional circumstances where expertise in the relevant subject or field is lacking in the department. The procedure in Rule 20-A of the APT Rules 1973 must be followed. Deputation should not be used as a means for dumping officers or for back-door entries.

Who can be deputed and to where#

Any government servant can be deputed to another department of the Federal or a provincial government, to an autonomous or semi-autonomous body, or to a corporation.

The borrowing department must establish that it needs the officer’s services. Either recruitment against the post is under way and no eligible candidate is available within the department, or the post requires specialised expertise not otherwise available in the department.

Deputation also runs between the Federal Government and a provincial government, and between provinces. All cases of officers of BS-17 and above posted on deputation from the Federal Government to a provincial government, and from a provincial government to the Federal Government, must be processed through the Establishment Division.

How long can deputation last in Pakistan#

The normal deputation period is three years, and five years is the absolute maximum.

The rule is in the standard terms and conditions of deputation, Establishment Division OM No.1/13/87-R.I, 3 December 1990. The period must be clearly specified in the appointment order. On the last date of the specified period, the officer automatically stands relieved of his duties unless the orders of the competent authority have been obtained in advance for extending the period.

After five years, both the borrowing and the lending organisations must ensure the immediate repatriation of the deputationist.

If a person on deputation has completed the maximum tenure of five years, he must revert or be reverted by the borrowing office to his parent or lending organisation. Otherwise the audit offices concerned shall not make payment of salary and allowances to him beyond the date of expiry of five years.

The extension case must be referred to the Establishment Division within sixty days before the completion of the initial period of three years. The same 60-day practice is the general rule for extensions.

There is also a cooling-off rule: no officer should be sent on deputation unless he has completed three years’ service in his parent department after return from an earlier deputation.

Deputation allowance and pay in Pakistan#

Yes, deputation allowance is paid when the posting qualifies. The current rate is 20% of basic pay, subject to a maximum of Rs 6,000 a month.

The rate is in Finance Division OM No.F.1(6)/Imp/2005, 13 October 2006. It says the allowance is presently admissible at 20% of basic pay, subject to a maximum of Rs 6,000 a month. That is the latest rate on record.

The full text is on the Finance Division website. For the other allowances a government employee can draw, see our government employee allowances guide.

The old rule limited the allowance to deputation to foreign service in Pakistan. It did not allow it on deputation to a department of the Federal or Provincial Government.

The 2007 orders widened that rule. Following the Federal Service Tribunal judgment in Liaqat Ali Chaudhry vs Federation, upheld by the Supreme Court, the Finance Division ordered that deputation allowance may be granted to all officers and officials posted on deputation, or under section 10 of the Civil Servants Act 1973.

The posting must be to a post in a department or service altogether different from their own.

Deputation orders must now state: “The incumbent will be entitled to deputation allowance.”

The allowance is 20% of the officer’s running basic pay, so the actual amount depends on the officer’s stage in the scale. The examples below use the BPS-2026 minima. If you want the pay detail behind each grade, see what BPS means.

Two things are not paid on deputation. Deputation Special Pay is defunct: it was converted into Deputation Allowance in 1994 and cannot be revived or revised.

And the 20% Secretariat Allowance is not admissible to officials on deputation or posted by transfer outside the secretariat, including attached departments, field formations and autonomous bodies. The Lahore High Court held that it is granted only to employees of the Punjab civil secretariat.

The other terms on deputation are set by the 1990 standard terms.

• Pay: the deputationist keeps the pay scales of the parent department.
• Travelling allowance: admissible under the ordinary TA rules, except that where the TA rules of the borrowing organisation are more favourable, the latter apply.
• Conveyance: if an official car is provided for official and private purposes, the residence to office conveyance allowance is not admissible.
• Accommodation: of a standard not inferior to what is normally admissible, subject to a deduction of 5% of emoluments. If accommodation is not provided, house rent allowance is paid at a rate fixed by the government.
• Medical: the facilities of the borrowing organisation, provided they are not inferior to those admissible under the government.
• Pension contribution: the borrowing organisation pays a pension contribution to the government for the deputationist.
• GP Fund, Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance: the deputationist continues to subscribe to the GP Fund. Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance premiums are remitted directly by the officer to the Board of Trustees.
• Leave: sanctioned and paid by the borrowing organisation during deputation. Leave earned but not availed during deputation in Pakistan is credited to the officer’s leave account on reversion.

The deputation process#

There is no single published NOC form or checklist for general deputation. The steps below are the usual route, drawn from the Establishment Division OMs and the Pakistan Single Window Regulations 2021.

1. The borrowing department identifies the need. It must establish that it needs the officer’s services: either recruitment against the post is under way and no eligible candidate is available within the department, or the post requires specialised expertise not otherwise available.
2. The post is advertised or applications are invited. The borrowing organisation invites applications from officers of the relevant service.
3. The officer applies through proper channel with the parent department’s NOC. A civil officer wishing to apply for a deputation position must obtain the consent or NOC of the competent authority of his parent department before applying. For the NOC itself, see our NOC for a government job guide.
4. Selection. The borrowing organisation selects the most suitable candidate. In KP the process must be routed through the Special Selection Board chaired by the Chief Secretary.
5. Approval by the competent authority. Secretary or Head not below BPS-21 for up to BS-19, the Prime Minister for BS-20 and above, and the Establishment Division for federal-provincial cases at BS-17 and above.
6. Notification. The notification must state the period and the terms, including that the incumbent will be entitled to deputation allowance and that the period is three years, extendable by two years with approval.

Who approves deputation#

The approval authority depends on the grade of the officer being deputed.

The delegation to Secretaries and Heads carries four guidelines.

• Promotion post: deputation only if the department certifies that no eligible person is available for promotion, or the eligible persons are found unfit by the appropriate DPC or Selection Board.
• Initial recruitment post: deputation only as a temporary arrangement pending the joining of the FPSC nominee, and only after a requisition has been placed with the FPSC.
• Deputation post: the normal period is three years, and no extension beyond three years may be allowed without prior approval of the Establishment Division.
• Cooling-off: no officer should be sent on deputation unless he has completed three years’ service in his parent department after return from an earlier deputation.

Deputation vs transfer vs posting#

Deputation, transfer and posting are three different moves. The difference is whether the officer leaves his own service, and whether his lien moves.

One court remark needs care. The Lahore High Court said in its 2021 deputation verdict that there was no difference in transfer and deputation as per the court’s approved definition.

That remark was made in the context of the authority’s power to send an officer back to his parent department. It is not the administrative distinction, and this guide keeps the standard distinction above. For the transfer application itself, see our transfer application format guide.

Repatriation#

A deputationist has no vested right to serve the entire period of deputation. He can be repatriated by the competent authority in the interest of exigency of service as and when so desired, and such an order cannot be questioned.

The Supreme Court (2024 SCMR 188) held that the Civil Servants Act 1973, the rules made under it and the ESTA Code are silent about a deputationist having to serve his entire period, and the omission is deliberate.

• Automatic on expiry: on the last date of the specified period, the officer automatically stands relieved of his duties unless extension orders have been obtained in advance. After expiry, the officer should be relieved of his assignment forthwith.
• At any time: the government reserves the right to withdraw or transfer the deputationist at any time without assigning any reason. That is the Punjab policy’s position, and the Supreme Court’s position for the federal service.
• After five years: immediate repatriation is mandatory, and the audit offices stop payment of salary and allowances beyond the date of expiry of five years.
• No right to an extension: deputation is a temporary and discretionary arrangement which does not confer any vested right on a deputationist to continue or to seek its extension as a matter of right. The Sindh High Court, Larkana, held this in October 2025, citing the Supreme Court’s 2010 judgment in Dr. Shafi-ur-Rehman Afridi vs CDA.
• Retirement ends deputation: if the deputationist retires while on deputation, the period of deputation stands expired on the date of his retirement.
• NOC refused for extension: if the parent department does not agree to issue the NOC for further extension, the incumbent is repatriated. One ground is that the services of the incumbent are required in the parent department on account of exigencies of service.

Promotion and seniority on deputation#

A deputationist must rejoin his parent department and submit his Annual Confidential Reports to be considered for promotion. That is the Supreme Court’s position in 2024 SCMR 211.

In that case, a BS-20 officer was on deputation to the Federal Government from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2013. The Provincial Selection Board deferred his promotion because he was on deputation, had not rejoined his parent department and had not submitted his ACRs. A junior officer was promoted over him.

The Supreme Court upheld the deferral. It set aside the tribunal’s direction to create a new post and grant proforma promotion, holding that creation of posts is an executive policy decision outside a tribunal’s mandate.

The Balochistan policy protects the deputationist in his parent office: when a vacancy occurs in a higher grade in his parent office, he should be considered for promotion to the higher Basic Pay Scale or post.

If he is selected under the relevant rules, he should be appointed or promoted formally. His deputation is recorded in his service book, which is the record the parent department uses.

KP’s position is different. Under the KP promotion policy amendment of April 2025, a government servant on deputation is now eligible for promotion with their consent. If promoted while on deputation, the officer must return to the parent department. On return, their seniority remains unaffected by the deputation period.

Seniority itself is reckoned under section 8 of the Civil Servants Act 1973: the seniority of a civil servant is reckoned in relation to other civil servants belonging to the same service or cadre, whether serving in the same department or office or not.

Seniority in a post to which a civil servant is promoted takes effect from the date of regular appointment to that post.

Absorption in the borrowing department is not automatic and not a right. The Supreme Court laid down the procedure in September 2016: retention of officials on deputation and their absorption in the borrowing departments requires the consent of the lending department, and selection is undertaken by the Federal Public Service Commission.

Auditors declared the deputation, absorption and promotion of a former chief executive officer of the Engineering Development Board illegal because he continued to serve beyond the maximum deputation period of five years, with no approval of extension produced.

Deputation abroad is a separate regime, governed by a separate part of the ESTA Code. This guide covers deputation within Pakistan only.

Mistakes to avoid#

The most common mistakes with deputation in Pakistan are about the period, the allowance and the right to stay.

• Thinking five years is the normal period: the normal period is three years. Five years is the maximum after a two-year extension.
• Thinking deputation can run beyond five years: five years is the absolute maximum. After five years immediate repatriation is mandatory, and no salary or allowances are payable.
• Expecting the allowance on every deputation: the allowance is paid when the officer is posted to a department or service altogether different from his own, and the deputation order must state the entitlement.
• Expecting 10% or the old Management Grade split: the current rate is 20% of basic pay, subject to a maximum of Rs 6,000 a month.
• Expecting the Secretariat Allowance on deputation: it is not admissible to officials on deputation outside the secretariat.
• Thinking you have a right to the full period or an extension: there is no vested right to either. The competent authority can repatriate you at any time.
• Staying on deputation and expecting promotion: the deputationist must rejoin the parent department and submit his ACRs to be considered for promotion.
• Assuming absorption is automatic: absorption needs the lending department’s consent and selection through the FPSC.

Frequently asked questions#

How long can a deputation last? The normal period is three years. It is extendable by two years with the prior approval of the competent authority, so the maximum period is five years. After five years immediate repatriation is mandatory.

Is deputation allowance paid? Yes, when the posting qualifies. The rate is 20% of basic pay, subject to a maximum of Rs 6,000 a month. The officer must be posted to a department or service altogether different from the one to which he permanently belongs, and the deputation order must state the entitlement.

Who approves deputation? A Secretary of the Ministry or Division, or a Head of an Attached Department or Subordinate Office not below BPS-21, approves initial deputation of officers up to BS-19 for three years.

The Prime Minister approves deputation of officers in BS-20 and above. Federal to provincial and provincial to federal cases at BS-17 and above go through the Establishment Division.

Can deputation be extended beyond the maximum? No. Five years is the absolute maximum. Punjab caps deputation at three years, with extensions only in relaxation of the rules, and Balochistan allows three years plus two in exceptional cases with S&GAD approval.

Does service on deputation count for promotion and seniority? Promotion is decided in the parent department. A deputationist must rejoin his parent department and submit his Annual Confidential Reports to be considered for promotion. KP’s 2025 amendment lets a deputationist be promoted with consent, but the officer must return to the parent department on promotion, and seniority remains unaffected.

Can a deputation be refused? No rule found gives a civil servant a right to refuse deputation. Deputation is ordered by the competent authority in the public interest, and the officer must obtain his parent department’s NOC before applying for a deputation post.

Can a deputationist be absorbed in the borrowing department? Only with the lending department’s consent and selection through the Federal Public Service Commission. Absorption is not automatic and not a right.

The federal rule is three years normal, five years maximum, with an allowance of 20% of basic pay capped at Rs 6,000 a month. Punjab caps deputation at three years. Balochistan allows three years plus two in exceptional cases.

KP and Sindh have their own deputation policies. The Pakistan Single Window Regulations set a two-year term for that organisation, extendable in consonance with the three-year deputation period. The regulations are on the FBR website.