Overview
- The federal cabinet formally notified the Public Procurement Rules, 2026 on September 28, 2026, repealing the 2004 rules and putting the new framework into immediate effect for all new federal procurements.
- All federal buying must now use the E‑Pak Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS) and agencies must publish annual procurement plans and most tenders on EPADS and the PPRA website.
- The rules raise oversight for large contracts by requiring third‑party validation for procurements above Rs500 million, an External Bid Evaluation Committee with two‑thirds external members for contracts over Rs2 billion, and live broadcasting of very large bid openings.
- The framework tightens transparency and penalties by expanding public advertising thresholds, extending blacklisting for serious fraud up to 10 years, requiring five years of record retention, and creating outside grievance and appellate committees.
- The government retained broad direct‑contracting provisions for state‑owned entities rather than adopting IMF limits, a choice that may affect competition, private sector bidders, and Pakistan’s engagement with the IMF during the Fund’s programme review.