PESHAWAR — The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced new rules for civil servants promotion, aimed at creating a more “organised, transparent and merit-based” system. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Servants Promotion Rules, 2026 have been approved by the chief minister and are effective immediately, according to a notification issued by the administration department on Monday.
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Under the new framework, two provincial selection boards have been established. The senior selection board, chaired by the chief secretary, will handle promotion cases for higher-grade officers, while a second board, led by the additional chief secretary (general), will manage promotions for middle-grade officials. Departmental promotion committees at departmental and district levels will conduct initial scrutiny before forwarding cases to the relevant boards.
The rules designate positions from grade 19 to 21 as selection posts, where promotions will be based on a combination of performance reports, training evaluation, and overall assessment by the selection board. Positions at grade 18 and below will largely rely on seniority and performance. For example, promotions to grade 19 and above will be evaluated with 40% weight on performance reports, 30% on training evaluation, and 30% on board assessment.
Mandatory training courses are now required for higher promotions. Officers must complete the Mid-Career Management Course for grade 18 to 19, a Senior Management Course for grade 19 to 20, and a special course from the National Management or National Defence institutions for grade 20 to 21. Minimum qualifying marks have been set: 60% for grade 18, 65% for grade 19, 70% for grade 20, and 75% for grade 21.
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The rules also introduce a deduction system for penalties, defer promotions for employees facing disciplinary proceedings, and specify that promotions will lapse if the new position is not assumed within one year, with exemptions for employees nearing retirement. Departments have been instructed to issue posting orders within 30 days of promotion approval, with officials held accountable for undue delays.