List of Government Departments in Punjab, Pakistan

Every major department of the Government of Punjab — what each one runs, and which ones citizens actually deal with — in one organised reference.

The big departments

• School Education Department — public schools across the province; the largest employer.
• Higher Education Department — colleges and universities.
• Primary & Secondary Healthcare / Specialized Healthcare — hospitals, BHUs, health programmes.
• Home Department & Punjab Police — law and order; the IG Punjab commands the force.
• Board of Revenue — land records,Collectorates, patwaris; the oldest department.
• Irrigation Department — canals and barrages; the lifeline of Punjab’s agriculture.
• Agriculture Department — extension, research, subsidies.
• Local Government & Community Development — municipalities, union councils.
• Finance Department — the provincial budget.
• Planning & Development Board — development schemes and ADP.
• Industries, Commerce & Investment — industry, small business.
• Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control — vehicle registration, property tax, drug enforcement.
• Transport Department — route permits, vehicle fitness.
• Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries — forests, parks, game.
• Auqaf & Religious Affairs — shrines and religious endowments.
• Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal — welfare programmes.
• Women Development — women’s protection and empowerment.
• Youth Affairs & Sports — sports boards, youth programmes.
• Information & Culture — press, arts, archives.
• Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Engineering — water supply, sanitation, housing schemes.

Departments citizens deal with

Most Lahoris meet the government through five doors: the Police (15 helpline, khidmat centres), the Board of Revenue (fard, transfers), Excise (vehicle registration, token tax), Local Government (birth/death certificates, sanitation) and School Education (admissions). Punjab’s citizen portals and khidmat centres have digitised many of these — check the relevant department’s website before visiting in person.

How Punjab’s government is structured

Each department is headed by a provincial secretary (a senior civil servant), reporting to the Chief Secretary Punjab; ministers provide political direction. Departments are headquartered at the Civil Secretariat, Lahore. At the district level, each department fields a district officer working under the Deputy Commissioner — so Punjab’s 41 districts each replicate the secretariat in miniature, with divisional commissioners (10 divisions) coordinating between the two tiers. For citizens, the district is where the province becomes real: the DC’s office, the district courts, the DHQ hospital — which is why Punjab’s government feels both distant in Lahore and present in every tehsil. Master the district map and the secretariat finally starts making genuine sense at last — that is our promise. For the federal picture see the government departments guide and the federal list.

Frequently asked questions

How many departments are in the Punjab government?

Roughly 25–40+ major departments, each headed by a provincial secretary and headquartered at the Civil Secretariat, Lahore.

Which is the biggest department of Punjab?

The School Education Department — by employees and budget, it dwarfs the rest.

Who heads a Punjab government department?

A provincial secretary (administration), under the political direction of the minister and the overall coordination of the Chief Secretary.

Where are Punjab government offices located?

Mostly at the Civil Secretariat, Lahore, with district offices (DC, DPO, EDOs) in every district.