The federal government has formally notified the Public Procurement Rules, 2026 through the official Gazette, replacing the Public Procurement Rules, 2004 with immediate effect.
The new rules aim to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability in government procurement while bringing Pakistan’s procurement practices closer to international standards. However, procurement cases initiated before the new rules came into effect will continue under the 2004 framework.
A major change is the mandatory use of the e-Pak Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS) for procurement and disposal by federal procuring agencies. The rules also provide for dedicated Procurement Cells and introduce third-party validation, evaluation and pre-shipment inspection for large procurements.
The framework strengthens enforcement through blacklisting and cross-debarment, while independent grievance redressal committees and an appellate mechanism at PPRA have also been introduced. Deliberate procurement outside EPADS, tailor-made specifications and violations of prescribed evaluation and advertisement requirements have been identified as forms of mis-procurement.
The rules also introduce faster procurement methods, including gallop tendering, shopping and negotiated tendering under specified conditions. Response times and tender processing procedures have been streamlined to speed up contract awards.
The new framework also promotes sustainable procurement and encourages greater participation of SMEs and marginalized groups.
PPRA Managing Director Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi said the new rules provide a modern framework focused on transparency, competition, accountability, efficiency and value for money throughout the procurement cycle.
