Check If the Federal Defined Contribution Pension Scheme Covers You in Pakistan

Short answer: The federal Defined Contribution (DC) Pension Fund Scheme applies from 1 July 2024. A Finance Division memo of 11 August 2026 says it has entered its operational phase. If you were appointed on a regular basis on or after that date, ask your office whether your details were sent to the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR).

Federal government jobs used to come with a pension that the government paid from the budget. For new staff, that is changing. The new scheme puts money into a fund each month, and the pension depends on what the fund holds at retirement.

We opened two Finance Division documents on finance.gov.pk on 14 October 2026. One is the office memorandum of 11 August 2026. The other is the covering memo of 2 October 2025 that carried the scheme rules. This guide tells you what they say, what we could not read, and what to do if you are a new federal employee.

The scheme starts from 1 July 2024

The 11 August 2026 memo says the Federal Government introduced the Defined Contribution Pension Fund Scheme with effect from 1 July 2024. It says the notified rules are enclosed and that the scheme has now entered its operational phase.

The rules came first. The memo of 2 October 2025 attaches Statutory Notification (S.R.O.) No. 1728(I)/2025 dated 27 August 2025. Its subject line reads Federal Government Defined Contribution Pension Fund Scheme Rules, 2024. So the rules were notified in August 2025, and the work of setting up the accounts followed in 2026.

Staff appointed on a regular basis from 1 July 2024 are in the list

The memo asks each ministry to prepare a list of employees appointed on a regular basis with effect from 1 July 2024 who fall within the scheme. So the starting point is your date of regular appointment, not your date of joining a department.

The memo does not say that older staff move to the new scheme. It only speaks about employees appointed from 1 July 2024. If you joined before that date, the memo gives no sign that your pension has changed. Ask your accounts office if you are unsure.

Contract and daily-wage staff are not mentioned in the memo. We do not state their position, because the memo does not.

Ministries have 15 days to update employee details with AGPR

Each ministry or division must pick a focal person of BS-17 or above, name an office to verify employee data, and update the list of covered staff with AGPR within 15 days of receiving the memo. The Controller General of Accounts then sends a combined list to the Finance Division.

The 15 days run from when each office received the memo, which was not on the same day for every office. We cannot say when your office received it.

Reported rates are 10 per cent from the employee and 12 per cent from the government

Press reports say the employee pays 10 per cent and the government adds 12 per cent of pensionable pay for civil staff. We could not confirm this at source. The rules PDF on finance.gov.pk is a scan of images with no readable text, so we did not read the rates on the page.

Treat 10 and 12 per cent as reported until you see the rules yourself. The S.R.O. is public. Your accounts office or the Finance Division should be able to give you a copy.

Reports also say armed forces staff will join later, from 1 July 2025, and that this part is still pending. We did not see this in the memos, so it is reported only.

What a new employee should do now

Keep your appointment letter, check the date of regular appointment, and ask your accounts or drawing and disbursing office a few questions. This takes one visit and protects you if your name is missing from the list sent to AGPR.

1. Find the date of regular appointment on your letter. If it is on or after 1 July 2024, you are likely in the group the memo describes.
2. Ask your drawing and disbursing office whether your details were sent to AGPR under the DC scheme.
3. Ask for the name of your ministry's focal person for the scheme. The memo says each ministry must name one.
4. Ask for a copy of S.R.O. 1728(I)/2025 and read the rates, withdrawal rules and what happens to your fund if you die in service.
5. Check your next payslip for a deduction line and write down the amount. Compare it with the rate in the rules.

If you already draw an old-style pension, nothing in these memos changes it. Your yearly increase is a separate matter, covered in our guide to the 2026 federal pension increase.

How this differs from the old pension and the GP Fund

Under the old system the government promises a pension based on your last pay and years of service. Under the DC scheme nothing is promised in advance. Money goes into a fund and your benefit depends on what the fund earns. That is the plain meaning of defined contribution.

The General Provident Fund is a different thing. It is a savings fund where staff set aside part of their salary. Read how it works in our note on GP Fund deductions for federal employees. We have not found a rule in these memos that says how the DC scheme and the GP Fund fit together for new staff, so ask your accounts office.

The cost of old pensions is large. Our report on the federal pension bill for 2026-27 shows why the government wanted a funded model for new hires.

Common questions

Does the DC pension scheme apply to me?

The 11 August 2026 memo covers employees appointed on a regular basis from 1 July 2024. If your regular appointment is on or after that date, you are likely covered. If it is earlier, the memo gives no sign that you are.

How much is deducted from my salary?

Press reports say 10 per cent of pensionable pay from the employee and 12 per cent from the government. We could not read the rates in the rules PDF, so check your payslip and the S.R.O.

Is the scheme in force or only planned?

The memo says the scheme took effect on 1 July 2024 and has entered its operational phase. It was notified by S.R.O. 1728(I)/2025 on 27 August 2025. It is in force, but offices were still preparing employee lists in August 2026.

Does it change the pension I already receive?

Nothing in the two memos touches existing pensions. They speak only about employees appointed from 1 July 2024. Existing pensioners should follow the yearly increase notices from the Finance Division.

Who do I ask if my name is missing?

Start with your drawing and disbursing office, then your ministry's focal person for the scheme. The memo says each ministry must name one and update details with AGPR within 15 days of receipt.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 14 October 2026. We opened Finance Division Office Memorandum No. 19(3)REG.6/2026-0001 dated 11 August 2026 and Office Memorandum No. 9(3)REG.6/2015 dated 2 October 2025 on finance.gov.pk. The contribution rates and the armed forces date are reported, not read at source, because the rules attached to the memos are scanned images. Sources: finance.gov.pk/circulars/circular_11082026.pdf and finance.gov.pk/circulars/PF_9_3_02102025.pdf.