This research paper aimed to study the prevailing levels of instructional planning and strategies according to three criteria i) Comprehension, ii) Behavior iii) Performance possessed by the teachers in secondary schools, the relationship among the prevailing levels of the three criteria of instructional planning and strategies of teachers teaching at secondary level. It was a mixed methods research study. The sample consisted of 400 secondary school teachers from the four provinces and Islamabad capital territory selected through multistage sampling. The qualitative data related to Open Distance Learning (ODL) system was collected through interview. The results showed a significant relationship among the criteria of instructional planning and strategies, and significant difference between the prevailing levels of three criteria of instructional planning and strategies possessed by the secondary school teachers and the prescribed standard of these criteria in the National professional standards for teachers in Pakistan. Data triangulation for self-reporting tools from secondary school teachers) questionnaire (Comprehension criterion) was cross checked through interview and observation data which collectively identified the gap between the prescribed standard and the instructional planning in use at secondary level. The analysis of the interview revealed that the ODL system can provide assistance by introducing capacity development courses on instructional planning and strategies in blended as well as online modes.