The police in Pakistan are responsible for preventing crime and maintaining law and order. They collect intelligence too. However, they also have other duties, such as investigating any criminal activity occurring throughout the country or locally, depending on where you live.

Pakistan is made up of provinces and territories. Police departments in the traditional structure include:

• Punjab Police for Punjab province
• Islamabad Capital Police for Islamabad Capital Territory 
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
• Sindh Police for Sindh province 
• Balochistan Police for Balochistan province 

These police departments in Pakistan have a lot in common, including their organizational structures and recruiting process.

Police Force Ranks in Pakistan 

The following list of police force ranks in Pakistan:

The police force in Pakistan has two ranks, junior and senior. It is worn on the shoulder of their uniforms with an insignia that identifies them as either a constable or superintendent.

Let’s discuss these ranks in detail:

• Constable

A Constable is a junior staff member of a police station. Their pay scale is between BPS 5 and BPS 7, depending on the province. To become a constable, you need to be 18-26 years old and have a Matriculation level education.

• Head Constable

Head constables in Pakistan are of higher rank than constables. Head Constable has BPS 7 and BPS 9 grades and different pay scales.

• Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police (ASI)

The Assistant Police Sub-Inspector is a high rank in the police. In Pakistan, the civil service grade for this position ranges from BPS 9 to BPS 11.

• Sub-Inspector of Police (SI)

The Sub-Inspector of police manages a small police station or serves as the staff for larger towns and cities’ police stations. The basic pay scale is BPS 14.

• Inspector of Police (IP)

Police inspectors are the backbone of any police station. They serve as heads or senior officers, and the grade for this rank is BPS 16.

• Assistant/Deputy Superintendent of Police (ASP/DSP)

Pakistan has many different districts. Each district has two or more areas, and the Assistant or Deputy Superintendent of Police is in charge of one area. This job is civil service grade 17, so these people are gazetted officers.

To be an Assistant or Deputy Superintendent of Police in Pakistan, you must have a Bachelor's degree from a university that the government accredits. In addition, people must be between 21 and 28-years-old to become a suitable candidate for this rank.

• Superintendent of Police (SP)

In Pakistan, there is a rank of a police officer called the Superintendent of Police. For this rank, the basic pay scale is BPS 18.

• Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) 

The Deputy Inspector General of Police is a person who is in charge of the non-field branch. They serve as a Regional Police Officer (RPO) or a Chief Police Officer (CPO). The basic rank for this position in Pakistan police is BPS 20.

• Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) 

The Senior Superintendent of Police is either the DPO or works at headquarters. They have a civil service grade of BPS 19.

• Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG or Addl. IG)

The Additional Inspector General is a person who is responsible for a large region or city. They might also be the head of a non-field branch. The civil service grade for this rank is BPS 21.

Sometimes people use the abbreviation AIG for Assistant Inspector General. This position is in the same civil service grade as an SPP.

• Inspector-General of Police (IGP)

The Inspector-General of Police also called an IGP for short, is the highest rank in charge of provincial police establishments. This post has a civil service grade which makes them three stars higher than other officers.

We hope that this guide has been helpful in understanding the different ranks within Pakistan's Police Force.