Punjab Secretariat Lahore Explained: What It Is, Where It Is, Who Runs It
“Punjab Secretariat Lahore” is the shorthand millions of Pakistanis use for the province’s government headquarters — but the name covers a historic complex, a bureaucracy and a chain of command. This guide explains what the term means, where the Secretariat is, and who actually runs Punjab from it.
Quick answer: The Punjab Secretariat — formally the Punjab Civil Secretariat — is the Government of Punjab’s administrative headquarters on Lower Mall Road, Lahore. It is run by the Chief Secretary (currently Zahid Akhtar Zaman), the province’s top bureaucrat, and houses the secretariats of key departments. The 200-year-old complex began as a Sikh-era general’s residence.
What “Punjab Secretariat” Means
In Pakistani usage, “secretariat” means the headquarters complex where a government’s secretaries — the top bureaucrats of each department — have their offices. The Punjab Secretariat (formally the Punjab Civil Secretariat) is therefore not one office but the nerve centre of the entire provincial administration: the building where the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary and departmental secretaries work, where cabinet meetings are serviced, and where the files of all 41 districts eventually land. Our complete Civil Secretariat guide covers its history and departments in full.
Where It Is
Lower Mall Road, Islampura, Lahore — in the historic administrative district near the Lahore High Court, with its own Metrobus station (Civil Secretariat Station). The complex’s oldest blocks date to c. 1822–1839, when they were the private residence of General Jean Baptiste Ventura of the Sikh Army; the British established their Residency here in 1847, and it has been Punjab’s administrative seat ever since. Do not confuse it with the Chief Minister’s Secretariat at 7 & 8 Club Road, G.O.R.-I — the political executive’s separate office.
Who Runs It
Two parallel hierarchies meet at the Secretariat. The bureaucracy is led by the Chief Secretary of Punjab (currently Zahid Akhtar Zaman, in office since December 2022) — appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, reporting to the Chief Minister, and the boss of every divisional commissioner and administrative secretary in the province. The political executive — the Chief Minister and cabinet — sets policy; the Secretariat implements it. This division (politicians decide, bureaucrats execute) is the basic architecture of Pakistan’s provincial government, and understanding it explains why the Chief Secretary’s office matters as much as the Chief Minister’s. For the political side, see our current chief ministers guide and why Punjab has a Chief Minister, not a Prime Minister.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Punjab Secretariat?
The administrative headquarters of the Government of Punjab in Lahore — the complex housing the Chief Secretary and the secretariats of the province’s departments.
Where is the Punjab Secretariat in Lahore?
On Lower Mall Road, Islampura, Lahore, near the Lahore High Court. The Chief Minister’s separate secretariat is at 7 & 8 Club Road, G.O.R.-I.
Who is the head of the Punjab Secretariat?
The Chief Secretary of Punjab — currently Zahid Akhtar Zaman — is the administrative head. The Chief Minister leads the political executive from a separate office.
