Chief Secretary of Punjab (Pakistan)

The chief secretary of Punjab (Punjabi/Urdu: مُعْتَمَدِ اعلٰی پنجاب, romanized: Muʿtamad-ē-Aʿlā Panjāb) is the bureaucratic chief and highest-ranking administrative official of the Pakistani province of Punjab. Appointed by the Establishment Division of the federal government in consultation with the government of Punjab, the chief secretary reports to the chief minister of Punjab and is part of their cabinet as a secretary. The position is equivalent to that of the federal secretary, and the officeholder belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service.

The chief secretary is the province's administrative boss as all the divisional commissioners and administrative secretaries of the province report to him/her. The CS in return reports to the chief minister of Punjab, however the chief secretary is not under the charge of the chief minister as only the prime minister can appoint or remove the CS from his position. The chief secretary also serves as the chief advisor to the chief minister and as secretary to the provincial Cabinet.