Police Ranks in Pakistan 2026: Badges & Salary

Pakistan has 11 police ranks, from Constable to Inspector General of Police (IGP). The ladder is the same in every province, but the BPS grade of the three lowest ranks is not. Punjab and KP upgraded Constable, Head Constable and ASI by two grades; Sindh did not. Here is every rank, its badge, its BPS grade by province, and its worked 2026 salary.

Police is a civilian service under the provincial government, governed by the Police Order 2002 and the provincial police acts and rules. Police ranks are not army ranks. A police Inspector is not a Captain, and a police SP is not a Colonel, even though both wear stars. Our police physical test guide covers selection, and our BPS pay scale chart 2026 covers the full civil service scales.

Police ranks in Pakistan at a glance#

The full police rank ladder#

The device above the stars for DSP, SP and SSP is the national emblem, often called a crown. The IGP is BPS-22 in Punjab and Sindh. Some sources list the IGP as BPS-21 or 22 depending on the province, so do not take BPS-22 as a single national grade for every province. Balochistan grades are not covered in this guide.

The provincial grade difference#

Punjab and KP upgraded the three lowest ranks by two grades. A Punjab or KP constable is BPS-7, a Head Constable is BPS-9, and an ASI is BPS-11. A Sindh constable is BPS-5, a Head Constable is BPS-7, and an ASI is BPS-9. From Sub-Inspector upward the grades are the same everywhere: SI is BPS-14, Inspector is BPS-16, and the ladder runs to IGP at BPS-22.

Punjab recruitment ads list Constable BPS-07, Head Constable BPS-09, ASI BPS-11 and SI BPS-14, and Punjab Police salary pages follow the same pattern. The KP upgrade was recommended by the IGP in a 2016 letter to the KP government (constable BPS-5 to 7, HC BPS-7 to 9, ASI BPS-9 to 11).

Rank groups: who is gazetted#

The ranks fall into three groups.

• Constabulary (non-gazetted): Constable and Head Constable.
• Non-gazetted officers: ASI and Sub-Inspector.
• Gazetted officers: Inspector, DSP/ASP, SP, SSP, DIG, Additional IG and IGP.

Gazetted rank starts at BPS-16, so the Inspector is the first gazetted rank. ASI and SI are non-gazetted.

SHO, DPO, CPO, RPO and PPO are POSTS (appointments), not ranks. An Inspector is usually the SHO (Station House Officer). An SP or SSP is the DPO (District Police Officer). A DIG is the RPO (Regional Police Officer) or CPO (City Police Officer). The IGP is the PPO (Provincial Police Officer).

What each rank does#

• Constable: patrol, pickets, guard duty, first responder at the scene.
• Head Constable: supervises constables, keeps station record, often the moharrar (record keeper).
• ASI: assists investigations, supervises constables, can be in charge of a police post.
• Sub-Inspector: investigation officer, can head a small police station.
• Inspector: usually the SHO of a police station, heads investigations.
• DSP/ASP: SDPO (Sub-Divisional Police Officer), supervises several police stations in a sub-division.
• SP: DPO of a smaller district, or heads a branch at police headquarters.
• SSP: DPO of a large district, or CPO in some cities.
• DIG: RPO heading a range, or CPO, or heads a branch.
• Additional IG: heads a major branch or region, second in command in the province.
• IGP: PPO, head of the provincial police.

2026 salary by rank (starting stage, Punjab)#

Basic pay comes from the BPS-2026 chart, effective 1 July 2026. ARA-2023 is 35 percent (BPS 1 to 16) or 30 percent (BPS 17 to 22) of the minimum of BPS-2022. ARA-2024 is 25 percent (BPS 1 to 16) or 20 percent (BPS 17 to 22) of the minimum of BPS-2022. ARA-2026 is 7 percent of the running basic. Conveyance 2026 is Rs 2,898 (BPS 5 to 10), Rs 4,284 (BPS 11 to 15) or Rs 7,500 (BPS 16 and above). Medical allowance is Rs 1,500 a month for BPS 1 to 16 only. Core gross is basic pay plus the three ARAs plus conveyance plus medical allowance. It does NOT include house rent allowance, which is frozen at 30 June 2026 levels and varies by posting, or police-specific allowances, which are listed separately below.

The Inspector figure (Rs 61,923) matches our BPS-16 salary guide exactly, and the SP figure (Rs 109,053) matches our BPS-18 salary guide exactly. A Sindh constable (BPS-5) starts at Rs 18,300 basic pay, with a core gross of Rs 33,118, but Sindh also pays the Differential Allowance 2026 (15 percent of 30 June 2022 basic, BPS-01 to 16 only), which adds Rs 2,285 and takes the Sindh constable core gross to Rs 35,403, very close to Punjab. Punjab has no new DRA in 2026.

What is the salary of a police constable?#

A newly joined Punjab Police constable (BPS-7) starts at Rs 19,590 basic pay. With the ad-hoc relief allowances, conveyance and medical allowance, the core gross is about Rs 35,100 a month, and the core net after GP Fund is about Rs 33,300. House rent allowance and police-specific allowances sit on top of that, so the actual take-home is higher.

A Punjab constable’s take-home is roughly Rs 45,000 to 55,000 a month, varying by posting and unit. This is an estimate not an official figure., Sindh constable (BPS-5) starts at Rs 18,300 basic pay but gets the Sindh Differential Allowance, so the core gross is about Rs 35,400. A constable’s annual core gross is Rs 421,752, so income tax is zero (0 percent up to Rs 600,000).

Police-specific allowances#

Fixed Daily Allowance (FDA). The Punjab government restored the FDA for police, traffic wardens and highway patrolling police to 2013 rates with effect from 1 July 2019, after it had been frozen since 2005. Dawn (19 August 2019) reported the increase as from Rs 2,000 to Rs 12,000 for police officers in BPS-7 to BPS-21. A reproduced payslip shows Rs 11,000. The figure is about Rs 12,000 (August 2019).

A Punjab Police constable payslip shows these allowances: Special F.D.A. Police Rs 11,000; Police Law and Order Allowance Rs 3,530; Ration Allowance (Police 2009) Rs 1,038; Constabulary Allowance Rs 509; Washing Allowance Rs 150; House Rent Allowance 45 percent Rs 2,384 on that payslip (HRA varies by posting). The same payslip shows gross pay Rs 71,609 and net pay Rs 68,447 for a mid-career constable (basic Rs 34,510), with total deductions Rs 3,162. This is a mid-career constable’s payslip, not a starting salary.

SPU (Special Protection Unit) constables get a higher Risk/Hardship Allowance (Rs 12,000 for BPS-07, Rs 14,500 for BPS-09) plus a Special Duty Allowance of Rs 1,500. That is SPU-specific. No general risk allowance rate applies to ordinary police. No verified rate exists for a general risk allowance.

Promotion: how a constable becomes an ASI#

Constable to Head Constable: departmental promotion on seniority, with departmental exams. Punjab Police official news confirms the chain: 9 constables promoted to Head Constables, 8 Head Constables to ASIs and 5 ASIs to Sub-Inspectors in the band staff (January 2024, after 15 years without promotion in that wing). Another Punjab Police item (April 2023) records 64 personnel promoted from Constable to ASI in the Telecommunication and Motor Transport wings.

Head Constable to ASI: promotion, or direct recruitment. In KP the ASI rule allows appointment by promotion from Head Constables, and by initial recruitment of general candidates (HSSC, age 18 to 25) and in-service graduate constables and Head Constables (bachelor degree, minimum five years service, up to age 35), with a physical endurance test, a written examination by the KP Public Service Commission, and a psychological test.

ASI to Sub-Inspector: promotion, or direct recruitment through the provincial public service commission (PPSC in Punjab, KPPSC in KP, SPSC in Sindh). Sub-Inspector to Inspector: promotion. Inspector to DSP: promotion into the provincial service, or direct recruitment through the provincial public service commission. ASP: through CSS (Police Service of Pakistan), BPS-17. ASPs are federal officers posted to the provinces.

No fixed timeline can be stated for any promotion. Promotions depend on seniority, vacancies and departmental exams, and can be slow. The band staff waited 15 years for promotion. Constable entry is Matric, age usually 18 to 25 (KP advertisements say 18 to 25). The exact age limit is in the advertisement and differs by province, so check the advertisement rather than assuming one national age limit.

Police ranks vs army ranks#

Police is a civilian service under the provincial government. The army is a federal service under GHQ. Police ranks are not army ranks, and no army-to-police equivalence table should be read as if the ranks matched. Police pay is the official Basic Pay Scale (BPS) of the civil service. That is different from the army, which has its own Z/Y/X pay scales (for example Sepoy Z-3) and only an approximate civilian BPS equivalence. The BPS grades in this guide are the police officers’ actual pay grades.

Entry is different too. Police constables join through the provincial police or testing service, ASIs and SIs through the provincial public service commission, and ASPs through CSS. Army officers join through PMA after ISSB. Our army height requirement guide covers the army’s physical standards for comparison.

Mistakes to avoid#

Using one grade for every province. A constable is BPS-7 in Punjab and KP but BPS-5 in Sindh. Name the province when you state a lower-rank grade.

Calling SHO, DPO or PPO a rank. They are posts. An Inspector is usually the SHO. An SP or SSP is the DPO. The IGP is the PPO.

Using the old basic pay. The current scale is BPS-2026, effective 1 July 2026. Guides that still show the BPS-2022 basic pay as current are stale.

Expecting one fixed take-home salary for every posting. Use the worked core gross and the estimated range instead. Take-home varies by posting, HRA and unit.

Expecting a fixed promotion timeline. Promotions depend on seniority, vacancies and departmental exams. The band staff waited 15 years. No fixed number of years per rank is published.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the salary of a police constable?

A newly joined Punjab Police constable (BPS-7) starts at Rs 19,590 basic pay. With ad-hoc relief allowances, conveyance and medical allowance the core gross is about Rs 35,100 a month. With house rent allowance and police allowances (fixed daily allowance, law and order allowance, ration allowance) the take-home is roughly Rs 45,000 to 55,000 a month, varying by posting and unit. That range is an estimate. A Sindh constable (BPS-5) starts at Rs 18,300 basic pay but gets the Sindh Differential Allowance, so the core gross is about Rs 35,400.

Which police rank is BPS-14?

Sub-Inspector (SI). The SI wears two stars and is the investigation officer rank that can head a small police station.

What is the highest police rank in Pakistan?

Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Provincial Police Officer, BPS-22 in Punjab and Sindh.

Is an Inspector a gazetted officer?

Yes. Gazetted rank starts at BPS-16, so the Inspector is the first gazetted rank. ASI and SI are non-gazetted.

How does a constable become an ASI?

By departmental promotion from Head Constable, or by direct recruitment through the provincial public service commission. In KP the ASI rule also allows in-service graduate constables and Head Constables with five years service to apply.

What is the difference between DSP and ASP?

Both are BPS-17 and both wear the national emblem with one star. An ASP joins through CSS as a Police Service of Pakistan officer. A DSP is a provincial service officer, promoted from Inspector or recruited through the provincial public service commission.