How Pakistan recruits police sub-inspectors: exams and selection differ by province

Recruitment of sub-inspectors in the police in India involves a written test, a physical test and a medical test. Many people wonder how the post is obtained in Pakistan and whether a similar competitive examination exists there. Pakistan's police also have the posts of sub-inspector and assistant sub-inspector.

Policing in Pakistan is run at the level of the provinces. Recruitment rules and the selection process differ in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. For this reason there is no single examination pattern for the whole country.

A candidate must meet the educational and physical qualifications laid down in the recruitment notification of the province concerned. A degree is generally required. There are also conditions on age, height, physical fitness and domicile. The sub-inspector recruitment advertised by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) in 2025 required a degree from a recognised university, with at least a second division. Age limits and physical criteria were different for men and women. The minimum height was set at 5 feet 7 inches for men and 5 feet 2 inches for women. Men also had to meet a chest measurement requirement.

The examination for this recruitment is conducted by the provincial public service commission. The PPSC recruitment in Punjab is an example. Under the 2025 notification, the sub-inspector post had a 100-mark multiple-choice paper with a duration of 90 minutes. The subjects were English, general knowledge and general ability. General knowledge requires awareness of important matters relating to Pakistan, current affairs, geography, basic mathematics, Urdu and general science.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a separate and detailed process has been laid down for assistant sub-inspectors (ASI). A general candidate must have passed intermediate, that is, Class 12. The minimum height is 5 feet 7 inches for men and 5 feet 1 inch for women. In the physical test, men must run 1,600 metres and women 1,000 metres, with both given 8 minutes.

After passing the physical test, candidates sit a written examination, in which they must score at least 40 per cent in each subject. Those who clear the written examination go through a psychological test and an interview. A medical examination and background verification are then completed.

In Sindh, the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) has a role in recruitment to the police and other related government departments. In one recruitment pattern for assistant sub-inspectors there, a degree was the stipulated qualification. According to the SPSC's official syllabus, the ASI written examination is a degree-level multiple-choice test. Of the questions, 40 per cent were to be drawn from English and 60 per cent from general knowledge, Pakistan affairs and current affairs. Those who pass the written examination take a physical test, in which height and chest are measured.

Candidates who succeed in the written examination, physical test, interview and medical examination are finally selected. They are then trained at the relevant police training institution. The training covers knowledge of law, crime investigation, use of weapons, discipline and how to deal with ordinary citizens. Only after completing the training is an officer given responsibilities in the police according to the prescribed procedure.