The Gazette of Pakistan: The Complete Guide
Pakistan’s official government gazette since 1948 — what it publishes, how it’s organised, what an S.R.O. is, and how to find any notification.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Quick answer: The Gazette of Pakistan (سرکاری جریدہَ پاکستان) is the official gazette of the Government of Pakistan, published since 1948 by the Printing Corporation of Pakistan. It is the authoritative record of government acts, ordinances, regulations, S.R.O.s (Statutory Rules and Orders), notifications, appointments and awards. A government decision generally takes legal effect as stated in its gazette notification — which is why lawyers, businesses and journalists treat the Gazette as the final word.
The publication
What the Gazette of Pakistan Is
The government’s official newspaper — where the state speaks on the record.
History
The Gazette of Pakistan was founded in 1948, a year after independence, as the new state’s official journal — the successor to the colonial gazette tradition. It is owned by the Government of Pakistan and printed and published by the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) — printed at the PCP Press in Islamabad/Karachi and published by the Manager of Publications, Karachi. It appears in Urdu and English and is headquartered in Islamabad.
“Published by Authority”
Every issue carries the line “Published by Authority” — the mark that this is the state speaking officially. When a ministry issues an S.R.O., an ordinance is promulgated, or an appointment is made, the Gazette entry is the authoritative, citable record. Courts, businesses and citizens rely on it as proof of what the government decided and when.
The contents
What It Contains
If the government did it officially, it’s in the Gazette.
Laws & rules
Acts of Parliament, ordinances, regulations, and S.R.O.s — the statutory rules and orders through which ministries exercise delegated lawmaking power (tax changes, import bans, standards).
Notifications & orders
Every formal government notification: policy decisions, committee formations, price changes, administrative orders — each dated, numbered and signed.
People
Appointments, promotions, transfers, leaves, retirements and awards — the personnel record of the state, from secretaries down to section officers.
The key term
S.R.O.s Explained
The three letters you’ll see on every important Gazette page.
S.R.O. stands for Statutory Rules and Orders. When Parliament passes a law, it usually lets the executive fill in the details — tax rates, procedures, lists of banned goods. Those details are issued as notifications “in exercise of the powers” of the parent Act, and each is assigned a serial S.R.O. number by the PCP Press before publication (e.g. S.R.O. 619(1)/94). The numbering system exists so the Law Division can compile and track them. Ministries must send statutory notifications to the Press in a prescribed format, vetted by the Law Division — which is why S.R.O.s read so formally. In practice: the S.R.O. is where government decisions become enforceable law — from FBR tax notifications to import prohibitions.
The structure
Parts & Extraordinary Issues
How the Gazette is organised — and what “Extraordinary” means.
Part I, II, III…
The Gazette is divided into numbered parts by content type. Part II carries statutory notifications (S.R.O.s) — rules and orders from ministries, divisions and the Supreme Court. Other parts carry bills, ordinances and general notifications. The part number tells a lawyer exactly where to look.
Extraordinary issues
When a notification can’t wait for the next regular issue, it’s published in the Gazette of Pakistan Extraordinary — a special issue printed on demand. Urgent tax changes, emergency orders and time-sensitive appointments typically appear as Extraordinary notifications. The “Extra.” marking is the sign of something the government needed on the record immediately.
The weight
Why It Matters Legally
A press release announces; the Gazette enacts. In Pakistani law, publication in the Gazette is what makes many government decisions officially effective — the notification specifies its own start date (on signing, on publication, or a named later date), and until that date arrives, the old rule still applies. That’s why the careful reader checks the date inside the document, not the date it was uploaded or reported: a notification posted in October may have been signed in March, and the legal effect follows the document’s date. For businesses — importers watching S.R.O.s, taxpayers watching FBR notifications — the Gazette isn’t news. It’s the law itself, in print.
Practical
How to Find a Notification
The fastest route to any government decision on the record.
Start with the source office
Each office publishes its own notifications: FBR posts S.R.O.s at fbr.gov.pk (income tax, sales tax, excise, customs sections); the Cabinet Division lists notifications at cabinet.gov.pk; PID posts press releases at pid.gov.pk.
Search by topic + date
Open the office’s notifications/SROs page and search the topic and approximate date. Notifications are numbered (S.R.O. numbers, file numbers) — quote the number if you have it.
Read the document’s date
Open the PDF and read the date inside — signed date, publication date, and effective date can all differ. The Gazette line (“to be published in the Gazette of Pakistan Extraordinary”) confirms its official status.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our official gazette finder guide.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions people ask most about the Gazette.
What is the Gazette of Pakistan?
The official government gazette of Pakistan, published since 1948 by the Printing Corporation of Pakistan — the authoritative record of acts, ordinances, S.R.O.s, notifications, appointments and awards.
What is an S.R.O. in Pakistan?
Statutory Rules and Orders — notifications through which the executive exercises lawmaking powers delegated by an Act of Parliament (tax rates, bans, procedures). Each gets a serial S.R.O. number from the PCP Press.
Who publishes the Gazette of Pakistan?
The Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) — printed at its press in Islamabad/Karachi, published by the Manager of Publications, Karachi, for the Government of Pakistan.
What is the Gazette of Pakistan Extraordinary?
A special issue printed on demand for urgent notifications that can’t wait for the regular issue — e.g. emergency tax changes or time-sensitive appointments.
Is a WhatsApp forward of a notification legally valid?
Only the official text counts. Verify any forwarded notification against the issuing office’s website or the Gazette itself — and check the effective date inside the document.
In which languages is the Gazette published?
Urdu and English.
Go deeper
Detailed Guides
The Gazette, from both angles.
The Gazette of Pakistan: What It Is & Why It Matters
History, contents, S.R.O.s and the legal weight of “Published by Authority”.
Official Gazette of Pakistan: How to Find Any Notification
The practical finder: offices, SRO numbers, dates and verification.
Follow Government & Politics
Laws, notifications and how Pakistan is governed — our Government & Politics section covers the state.
This guide describes the Gazette of Pakistan’s role and structure as of October 2026. For the legal text of any notification, consult the issuing office or the Gazette itself.