Time Scale Policy 2022: Ministry of Finance Clarifies Eligibility Rules for BPS-1 to BPS-16 Employees:

A Fresh Clarity on an Old Policy Question:

If you are a federal government employee in BPS-1 to BPS-16, the Time Scale Policy 2022 directly affects when you move up the pay ladder. On 14th July 2026, the Ministry of Finance issued an Office Memorandum settling a long-standing query raised by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development about how the first time scale benefit is calculated. The clarification matters because it confirms that the 10-year service rule under the Time Scale Policy 2022 is counted in an employee’s current substantive pay scale, not from an earlier or dispensation-based scale. It also settles the position for two specific groups: Assistants who received dispensation from BPS-14/15 to BPS-16 in 2016, and employees currently on Ex-Pakistan leave. Below, we break down exactly what the notification says, in both English and Urdu, so there is no confusion at your end. The Notification Describes;

No. 1(2)R-1/2022 (TSC)-0001

Government of Pakistan
Ministry of Finance

Islamabad, the 14th July, 2026

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT:             Policy for Grant of Time Scale to Civil Servants from BPS-1 to BPS-16 of All Civil Servants of the Federal Government

The undersigned is directed to refer to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development’s O.M. F. No. 2(2)/2022-ADMN-II dated 09-07-2026 on the subject noted above, and to state that the Time Scale Policy-2022 is very clear. The first time scale will be granted on completion of 10 years of service in the current substantive pay scale. It is clarified that Assistants who were granted the benefit of dispensation from BPS-14/15 to BPS-16 on 01-07-2016 are eligible for the grant of the first time scale benefit under the Time Scale Policy 2022, after completion of the requisite length of service, on the recommendation of the Scale Committee and after approval of the competent authority for that higher time scale.

2. It is further clarified that an Assistant who is on Ex-Pakistan leave on half average pay is eligible for the grant of the first time scale benefit under the Time Scale Policy 2022, after completion of the requisite length of service, on the recommendation of the Time Scale Committee and after approval of the competent authority for that higher time scale.

SO (Regulation Wing-I)

What Federal Employees Should Take Away From This Clarification:

The core message of this Office Memorandum is straightforward: the Time Scale Policy 2022 has not changed, but the method of counting eligibility has now been confirmed in writing. For most BPS-1 to BPS-16 employees, the first time scale is still tied to 10 years of service in their current substantive pay scale, so day-to-day eligibility calculations remain the same. The memorandum mainly removes ambiguity for two smaller groups. Assistants who moved from BPS-14/15 to BPS-16 through the 2016 dispensation order can now count their service toward the first time scale, subject to the Scale Committee’s recommendation and final approval from the competent authority. Similarly, Assistants currently on Ex-Pakistan leave at half average pay are not excluded from the benefit; their case simply follows the same committee-and-approval route.

For HR and admin sections across federal ministries, this notification is a useful reference point when processing time scale cases for these two categories, since it can now be cited alongside the original Time Scale Policy 2022 and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development’s earlier memorandum. Employees who believe they fall into either category should raise their case through their respective Section Officer (Admin) so it can be forwarded to the Scale Committee for review. Keeping a copy of this Office Memorandum with your service record is a simple, practical step that can save time when your case comes up for consideration.

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