Complain to KP's Right to Public Services Commission: Appeal in 30 Days, Fines Up to Rs 25,000

If a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa office misses the legal deadline for a notified service, such as a domicile in 10 days or a marriage registration in 3 working days, appeal to its Appellate Authority within 30 days. If that fails, appeal to the KP Right to Public Services Commission within 15 days, online at kprts.gov.pk or on 091-9216375. The officer at fault can be fined Rs 500 to Rs 25,000, and up to 70% of the fine can go to you.

KP's Right to Public Services Act, 2014 turned many government services into time-bound legal rights. The provincial assembly amended it in February 2026, adding more protections for applicants. We read the amended Act, the Commission's notified services list and its complaint pages on 20 October 2026.

This guide explains which services count, how the clock works, and the exact appeal chain when an office sits on your file.

Only notified services carry a legal deadline

The Act applies to services a department has notified in the official Gazette, each with a time limit, a designated officer and an Appellate Authority. The 2026 amendment gives departments one year to notify their services, and failing to do so counts as misconduct.

Here are some notified services that matter for families and welfare cases, from the Commission's list and the notifications it publishes:

Birth and death registration are notified too, and our guide to birth registration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lists their limits. Zakat services such as guzara allowance, jahez grants, education stipends and the istehqaq certificate appear in a 2021 notification. That file is a poor scan, so check the exact days with the Commission.

The clock starts on the day you apply

Section 5 says the time limit runs from the date you submit your application to the designated officer or a person he has authorised. The office must stamp it with an inward number, date and time, and give you a receipt with a reference number. That receipt is your evidence.

The 2026 amendment added two useful rules. If your application is incomplete, the officer may ask for more documents instead of rejecting it on a technicality. And if the officer does reject it, he must record the reasons and tell you.

1. Apply to the office that provides the service, with every document on its list.
2. Insist on a stamped receipt showing the inward number, date and time.
3. Count the days from that date, using the notified time limit.
4. If the limit passes, or you are refused, write an appeal to the Appellate Authority within 30 days.
5. If the Appellate Authority does not fix it, appeal to the RTS Commission within 15 days of its order.
6. File online at the Commission's complaints page, or call 091-9216375 for help.

Appeal first to the officer's Appellate Authority

Section 6 lets you appeal if your application is rejected, the time limit passes without service, or the service is deficient. Appeal within 30 days of the rejection, the missed deadline or the deficient service. The Appellate Authority must decide within 30 days and hear both sides first.

The Appellate Authority can order the officer to deliver the service within a set time, no longer than the notified limit, or to fix the defect. It has some civil court powers. And under section 11, it must issue a show cause notice to an officer who failed you. If the officer has no good reason, it fines him between Rs 500 and Rs 25,000.

Under section 13, up to 70% of that fine can be paid to you as compensation. That is not large money, but it is personal to the officer, and it goes on record.

The Commission hears the second appeal in 30 days

If you are unhappy with the Appellate Authority's final order, appeal to the Right to Public Services Commission within 15 days. The Commission must decide such appeals within 30 days, and other complaints within 60 days. It can also fine an Appellate Authority that sat on your appeal.

That fine on the Appellate Authority, under section 12, is Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000. The Commission can also recommend disciplinary action under section 14 against an officer or Appellate Authority who failed without good reason.

The Commission's website has an online form for new complaints and a page to track a complaint. Its contact details are pschief.rts@kp.gov.pk, 091-9216375 and 0337-1120029. It also publishes daily cause lists and holds virtual hearings, so you may not need to travel to Peshawar.

The 2026 amendment adds one more right. Section 8A lets every applicant and appellant monitor the status of their case online, with arrangements to be in place within two years. And section 3(3) requires reasonable accommodation for senior citizens, women, transgender persons and persons with disabilities at every stage.

When to use a different complaint route

The RTS route fits a missed deadline on a notified service. For broader unfairness by a provincial office, such as bias or a wrong decision on merits, the KP Provincial Ombudsman is the better forum.

For a domicile problem, start with the steps to apply for a domicile in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, so your file is complete before the clock starts. Punjab has a similar law with its own rules, covered in the Punjab right to public services law.

Common questions

How long do I have to appeal a delayed service in KP?

Thirty days from the rejection, the missed deadline or the deficient service, to the Appellate Authority. Then 15 days to appeal to the Commission.

How much can an officer be fined?

Between Rs 500 and Rs 25,000, under section 11 of the Act.

Do I get any of the fine?

Yes, possibly. Section 13 allows up to 70% of the fine to be awarded to you as compensation.

Can I complain online?

Yes. The Commission's website has an online complaints page with a new complaint form and complaint tracking.

What if the service is not on the notified list?

The Act's deadlines apply only to notified services. For other problems, use the KP Ombudsman or the department's own complaint cell.

What is the time limit for a domicile in KP?

Ten days, with the ADC or AC (HQ) as designated officer and the Deputy Commissioner as Appellate Authority.

How we verified this

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

We read the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Public Services Act, 2014, in the version showing the February 2026 amendments, the notified services list, the Local Government notification of 6 September 2022, and the online complaints page, all on 20 October 2026. We read them through a text reader because the site did not load directly for us. The 2021 Zakat notification is a poor scan and we could not read its time limits with confidence. We did not file a complaint.