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What is the retirement age for government employees in Pakistan? It is 60 years. A civil servant retires on the completion of the sixtieth year of his age, under section 13 of the Civil Servants Act 1973.
This guide explains the retirement age, the earlier ways a civil servant can retire, and the dates that matter before retirement: LPR, encashment, and the qualifying-service certificate. It covers federal government employees.
Retirement Age at a Glance#
| Fact | Rule |
|---|---|
| Retirement age | 60 years (section 13, Civil Servants Act 1973) |
| Voluntary retirement | After 25 years’ qualifying service, on 3 months’ notice |
| Compulsory retirement | After 20 years’ qualifying service, in the public interest |
| Minimum service for pension | 10 years (a deficiency of up to 6 months is condoned) |
| LPR | Up to 365 days before retirement |
The Retirement Age in Pakistan Is 60 Years#
A civil servant retires on the completion of the sixtieth year of his age. That is section 13 of the Civil Servants Act 1973, as amended by the Civil Servants (Amendment) Act 1976. The day on which he attains that age is reckoned as a non-working day, and he retires with effect from and including that day.
Your retirement date is your 60th birthday. If you were born on 1 January 1970, you retire on 1 January 2030. Your service book records your date of birth, and that date fixes your retirement. Our service book guide explains why the date of birth in your service book must be correct: it is renewed and re-attested every five years.
There is no proposal to change it. A viral notification claiming the retirement age was raised from 60 to 63 years, effective 1 January 2026, is fake: the Establishment Division denied it in February 2026, and no notification was issued. An earlier proposal to cut the age from 60 to 55 was also denied by the government in 2020. Changing the retirement age would need an Act of Parliament.
Other services have different ages. Judges of the superior courts retire at different ages under the Constitution: 65 for the Supreme Court and 62 for a High Court. Armed forces personnel retire at different ages by rank and service.
Retiring Before 60 in Pakistan: The 25-Year Rule#
A civil servant has the right to retire after completing 25 years’ qualifying service. He must give at least three months’ written intimation to the authority competent to fill the post. This is the retiring pension: a pension granted to a government servant who is permitted to retire after 25 years’ qualifying service.
For example, if you joined on 1 January 2000, you may retire on 1 January 2025. You would then get a retiring pension, provided you have completed 25 years of qualifying service. The pension is calculated on the same formula as the superannuation pension. Our government pension guide explains the formula: average emoluments of the last 24 months, multiplied by 7, multiplied by qualifying service, divided by 300, capped at 30 years.
Retiring after 20 years does not guarantee a full pension. Full pension is usually given after 25 years’ qualifying service. Those who retire after 20 years but before 25 years may receive a reduced pension under the Finance Division and Establishment Division guidelines.
The authority can also retire you after 20 years. Under section 13, the competent authority may direct a civil servant to retire, in the public interest, on any date after he has completed 20 years of service qualifying for pension. No such direction can be made until the civil servant has been given a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against it.
The Dates Before Your Retirement#
Leave preparatory to retirement starts up to 365 days before your retirement. LPR is granted from your leave account, on full pay or partly on full pay and partly on half pay at your discretion. It cannot be combined with any other kind of leave. If you were born on 1 January 1970 and retire on 1 January 2030, your LPR can start on 1 January 2029.
Encashment must be opted for 15 months before retirement. Instead of taking LPR, you may encash it, up to 180 days’ leave pay on full pay, if you opt for it in writing 15 months before the date of retirement. For a 1 January 2030 retirement, the option must be given by 1 October 2028. Our earned leave guide explains both encashments: up to 180 days at your own option, and up to 365 days where leave was refused in the public interest.
Your qualifying service is verified before retirement. Verification is completed on completion of 25 years of service, or five years before the date of retirement, and a certificate in the prescribed form is issued to you. The qualifying service in that certificate is treated as final up to that date, so any error in it follows you into your pension case.
What Counts Toward Your 25 Years#
Qualifying service is the service that counts for pension. The service must be under Government, it must be pensionable, and the servant must be paid out of the consolidated fund. All periods of leave other than extraordinary leave count. The period of suspension followed by reinstatement counts. The probationary period followed by confirmation counts. Half of the period of apprenticeship counts.
Extraordinary leave does not count. Leave without pay is not qualifying service. Overstayal of joining time or leave does not count. A deficiency in qualifying service of up to six months is automatically condoned.
The minimum is 10 years for a pension. A civil servant who has completed 10 years of qualifying service is entitled to a pension. With 5 years or more but less than 10 years, he gets a gratuity instead: up to one month’s emoluments for each completed year of qualifying service. With less than 5 years, he gets neither.
New entrants are under a different scheme. Regular appointees who joined on or after 1 July 2024 are under the Contributory Pension Fund Scheme, not the old defined-benefit pension. The 60-year retirement age still applies to them.
After Retirement: Re-employment and Pension#
Re-employment after retirement is restricted. A retired civil servant shall not be re-employed under the Federal Government unless it is necessary in the public interest and is made with the prior approval of the authority next above the appointing authority.
Your pension starts from your retirement. A superannuation pension is granted on completion of the age of superannuation, presently 60 years. The pension was increased by 7% in Budget 2026-27, effective from the July 2026 payment. Our age relaxation guide explains the other end of the age rules: the upper age limit for joining government service, and the relaxations that apply.
The rules are in the Civil Servants Act 1973, available from the Establishment Division.
Frequently Asked Questions#
What is the retirement age for government employees?
60 years. A civil servant retires on the completion of the sixtieth year of his age, under section 13 of the Civil Servants Act 1973. The day on which he attains that age is reckoned as a non-working day. There is no proposal to change it, and the viral notification claiming 63 years is fake.
Can I retire before 60?
Yes, after 25 years’ qualifying service. A civil servant has the right to retire after completing 25 years’ qualifying service, on at least three months’ written intimation to the authority competent to fill the post. The authority can also direct retirement after 20 years in the public interest, after giving the civil servant a reasonable opportunity of showing cause.
How many years of service do I need for a pension?
10 years. The minimum qualifying service for a pension is 10 years, and a deficiency of up to six months is automatically condoned. With 5 years or more but less than 10 years you get a gratuity instead, up to one month’s emoluments per completed year. With less than 5 years you get neither.
When does my LPR start?
Up to 365 days before your retirement. LPR is granted from your leave account, on full pay or partly on full pay and partly on half pay at your discretion. Instead of taking it, you may encash it, up to 180 days’ leave pay, if you opt in writing 15 months before retirement.
Can I be re-employed after retirement?
Only in the public interest, with the prior approval of the authority next above the appointing authority. A retired civil servant shall not otherwise be re-employed under the Federal Government.
