Know Your Rights — Pakistan

Your rights in Pakistan, in plain English — with the statutes that govern them and the concrete steps to use them.

What's happening to you?

I was fired without notice or severanceWorkers' Rights I'm paid below the minimum wageWorkers' Rights My EOBI pension is missing monthsWorkers' Rights The SHO won't register my FIRPolice My family member is missing in custodyPolice Someone has taken qabza of my plotHousing My landlord won't return my security depositHousing I want a khula from my husbandFamily Law I'm facing domestic violenceFamily Law Someone gave me a cheque that bouncedTax & Money FBR has issued me a notice or auditTax A bank made unauthorised chargesConsumer I'm being harassed at workWomen's Rights My brothers won't give me my inherited shareWomen's Rights

Pakistan's Legal System

Pakistan has a federal Constitution (1973) and a mixed common-law / Islamic-law system. Federal law covers the criminal code (PPC), procedure (CrPC), tax (Income Tax Ordinance 2001, Sales Tax Act 1990), banking (SBP framework), and family-law for Muslims (MFLO 1961). Pakistani superior courts and authoritative statutes operate in English.

After the 18th Amendment (2010), labour, health, tenancy, policing, education, and local government were devolved to the provinces — so for many everyday rights the law that actually applies is your province's: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, or Balochistan. Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) is federally administered with its own ordinances. Where provincial law differs materially, you'll see a province-bar at the top of the right page.

Browse by Category

Workers' Rights

Minimum wage, working hours, EOBI pension, social security, leave, termination — under federal and provincial labour laws after the 18th Amendment.

Police Encounters

Filing an FIR, arrest rules, 24-hour magistrate production, judicial remand limits, bail, and what to do if police refuse to register your case.

Housing & Tenancy Rights

Tenancy, eviction, security deposits, qabza (illegal occupation), property registration, and housing societies — under provincial Rented Premises laws and the Transfer of Property Act 1882.

Tax Rights

NTN registration, filer vs non-filer status, FBR notices and audits, sales tax, withholding regime, and how to appeal an order under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.

Family Law

Nikah, mehr, talaq, khula, child custody, guardianship, maintenance, dowry, and minority personal laws — Family Court procedure under the West Pakistan Family Courts Act 1964.

Consumer Rights

Provincial Consumer Protection Acts, e-commerce, banking complaints, telecom (PTA), defective goods, and PECA-driven action against online scams.

Healthcare Rights

Sehat Sahulat, provincial Healthcare Commissions, informed consent, mental health, organ transplant, and how to complain about a doctor or hospital.

Debt & Credit Rights

Bank loan recovery, credit card and personal loan disputes, CIB (credit history) corrections, banking ombudsman, and harassment by recovery agents.

Women's Rights

Workplace harassment, dowry violence, anti-rape law, honour killings, women's property rights, and gender-based protections under federal and provincial law.

How It Works

Find your situation

Browse by category or pick a situation that matches what you're going through — from FBR notices to qabza, from talaq to EOBI, from workplace harassment to bank disputes.

Understand your rights

Read a plain-English summary citing the statute, section number, and a link to the primary source on pakistancode.gov.pk or the relevant provincial code. We use Urdu legal terms (FIR, mehr, qabza, NTN) where they're standard.

Take action

Get concrete steps: which thana, which Family Court, which PRA / SRB / KPRA office, which Mohtasib, what to bring, and how to push back if they ignore you.