Federal Cabinet of Pakistan: Meetings, Agendas, Decisions & Notifications
The complete guide to how Pakistan’s federal cabinet works — how meetings are called and run, how the agenda is set, how decisions are announced, what cabinet notifications are, and who sits in the cabinet today.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Federal Ministers (2026)
Cabinet Division Founded
Cabinet Secretary (BPS-22)
Guides in This Cluster
Chairs Every Meeting
Announces Decisions
Meetings
How Federal Cabinet Meetings Work
The federal cabinet is the top decision-making body of Pakistan’s executive — the Prime Minister plus the federal ministers. Here’s how its meetings run.
Convened by the PM
Meetings are called by the Prime Minister and usually held weekly at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad. The PM chairs; in their absence, the senior-most minister or the Deputy PM presides.
Who sits at the table
All federal ministers attend. The Cabinet Secretary sits at the Prime Minister’s right hand, records the proceedings and prepares the official minutes. Senior officials attend by invitation for specific items.
Committees do the detail
Much heavy lifting happens in cabinet committees — notably the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), chaired by the Law Minister — whose recommendations come to the full cabinet for final approval.
Want the mechanics in depth? See how federal cabinet meetings work and Pakistan’s executive structure.
Agenda
How the Cabinet Agenda Is Set
Nothing reaches the cabinet table by accident. The agenda is built through a formal pipeline run by the Cabinet Division.
Ministries submit summaries
Each federal ministry sends its proposals to the Cabinet Division as formal summaries — setting out the issue, options, financial implications and the decision sought. Only summaries cleared through inter-ministerial consultation make the cut.
Cabinet Division compiles
The Cabinet Division, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, vets the summaries, orders them, and circulates the final agenda to ministers before the meeting — along with any table items the PM adds. Typical agenda fare: economic decisions, appointments to key posts, legislation to approve, and policy frameworks. See how the agenda is prepared.
Decisions
How Cabinet Decisions Are Made & Announced
From discussion to implementation, cabinet decisions follow a fixed chain.
Discussion
Ministers debate each agenda item; the PM sums up the sense of the meeting. Most decisions are by consensus rather than formal vote.
Minutes
The Cabinet Division records the decisions in official minutes, which the cabinet confirms — creating the authoritative record of what was decided.
Announcement
The Information Minister briefs the media after the meeting, and the Press Information Department (PID) issues an official press release listing the decisions.
Notification
Decisions needing legal effect are formalised through notifications published in the Gazette of Pakistan — the step that makes them officially binding.
For the announcement mechanics, see how cabinet decisions are announced.
Notifications
Cabinet & Government Notifications
A “notification” is the government’s formal written order — appointments, transfers, policy decisions, rules. Here’s the taxonomy.
| Type | Issued by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet notification | Cabinet Division | Decisions of the federal cabinet given formal effect |
| SRO (Statutory Regulatory Order) | Relevant ministry/division | Tax, tariff and regulatory changes |
| Office memorandum | Ministries/divisions | Internal policy instructions |
| Gazette notification | Printing Corporation of Pakistan | The published, citable record in the Gazette of Pakistan |
Deep dives: cabinet notifications · govt of Pakistan notifications · federal government notifications & the Gazette
The Office
The Cabinet Secretary’s Role
The most powerful civil servant in the country — and the least visible.
What the office does
The Cabinet Secretary of Pakistan is the Federal Secretary to the Cabinet and administrative head of the Cabinet Division. Usually the senior-most BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, appointed by the Prime Minister, the secretary advises the PM and cabinet, heads the secretaries’ committee, and has a direct say in postings, transfers and promotions of senior civil servants. Full profile →
The current incumbent
As of 2026, the Cabinet Secretary is Kamran Ali Afzal. The Cabinet Division itself dates to 14 August 1947, operates from Constitution Avenue, Islamabad, under the Prime Minister, and publishes at cabinet.gov.pk.
2026
The Current Federal Cabinet
The second Shehbaz Sharif government — 27 federal ministers as of 2026. Key portfolios:
| Minister | Portfolio |
|---|---|
| Shehbaz Sharif | Prime Minister (also Cabinet Division, Establishment Division) |
| Ishaq Dar | Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Affairs |
| Khawaja Asif | Defence |
| Muhammad Aurangzeb | Finance |
| Mohsin Naqvi | Interior & Narcotics Control |
| Ahsan Iqbal | Planning & Development |
| Attaullah Tarar | Information & Broadcasting |
| Azam Nazeer Tarar | Law & Justice |
| Jam Kamal Khan | Commerce |
| Awais Leghari | Energy |
| Hanif Abbasi | Railways |
| Musadik Malik | Climate Change & Environment |
Full list with all 27 ministers and portfolios: the current federal ministers list. For the wider system, see Pakistan’s government system and federal ministries & divisions.
FAQ
Federal Cabinet FAQs
Short answers to the most searched questions.
When does the federal cabinet meet?
Who is the Cabinet Secretary of Pakistan?
How are cabinet decisions announced?
What is a cabinet notification?
Where can I find today’s cabinet meeting agenda?
How many federal ministers are there in Pakistan?
More Government & Politics Guides
How Pakistan’s government works — institutions, offices and processes, explained.
Cabinet composition and office-holders reflect the position as of October 2026. For the authoritative record of any meeting, consult PID press releases and cabinet.gov.pk.