Your brother is in police custody and the family has no lawyer. Or you paid for goods that never arrived. Or your employer owes you two months of pay. You need legal help, and paying a lawyer is not possible right now.
You are not stuck. Pakistan has free legal help that works online, by phone, and by post. This guide lists the channels that actually exist, with the numbers and links. Every one of them was checked against an official source.
What the law says first
Free legal help is written into the law, not a favour. Article 10A of the Constitution gives every person the right to a fair trial and due process. It was added by the 18th Amendment in 2010.
In criminal cases the right is stronger. Section 340 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 says every accused person has the right to be defended by a lawyer. Where you cannot afford one, the state steps in through the bodies below.
Two more provisions matter. Section 9(2) of the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act 1973 requires the Pakistan Bar Council to provide free legal aid. The Free Legal Aid Rules 1999 turned that into committees at central, provincial and district level. And the Legal Aid and Justice Authority Act 2020 created the state body that arranges free lawyers for criminal cases.
Which helpline should you call?
For most people the fastest route is a phone call. These helplines are free and each one covers a different problem.
- 1099, Ministry of Human Rights. Free legal advice and counselling on human rights violations, including harassment, domestic violence and family disputes. Toll free from anywhere in the country.
- 1055, Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman). Free help with complaints against federal departments and agencies. If a government office has delayed or denied you something it should have given you, this office takes it up without a lawyer. Call 1056 for complaints about children.
- 1799, National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. Online fraud, blackmail, identity theft and cyber harassment. This is the national helpline for these crimes.
- 0800-70806, Sindh Legal Advisory Call Center. Free legal advice, 24 hours a day, run by the Legal Aid Society in Sindh.
Portals where you file it yourself
Some complaints you can file online, without a lawyer. A complaint portal is a website where you register your problem and the agency responds in writing.
- NCCIA complaint portal (complaint.nccia.gov.pk). For cybercrime. You register with your CNIC, describe what happened, and attach proof. Our guide to filing a cybercrime complaint step by step walks through the form.
- Wafaqi Mohtasib online complaint (mohtasib.gov.pk). Free complaints against federal agencies. You can also email [email protected] or post a letter to its Islamabad office.
- Consumer complaints. If a shop or online store took your money and did not deliver, consumer law gives you routes. Start with our guide to where to complain about online fraud in Pakistan.
If your case is already in court, you can check your court case status online instead of travelling to the court.
State legal aid for criminal cases
If you or a family member faces a criminal case and cannot pay, the state can arrange a lawyer. The Legal Aid and Justice Authority was set up under the 2020 Act for exactly this. Its focus is poor people, women and children in criminal cases.
Apply online at laja.gov.pk, or write to [email protected], or call 051-9201790. The form asks for your CNIC, the case details and your income.
The bar councils run their own committees. The Central Free Legal Aid Committee covers the Supreme Court, the provincial committees cover the High Courts, and the district committees cover the courts in your city. Ask for the committee that matches your court. For the full process, read our guide on how to get a lawyer without paying.
Organizations that provide free lawyers
Several organizations have fought cases for free for decades.
AGHS Legal Aid Cell was founded by Asma Jahangir in 1980. It provides free legal representation for women, children, minorities and prisoners, mainly in Lahore and beyond.
The Legal Aid Society gives free legal advice across Sindh through its call center, and takes on cases for people who cannot pay.
If you are a woman dealing with family, custody or inheritance matters, more networks are listed in our guide to free legal help for women in Pakistan.
Understand the law before you call
It helps to know the law before you speak to anyone. Lexiber is a free legal AI built for Pakistani law. You ask in English or Urdu and it answers with the exact section or case behind the answer. Check what the law says about your problem, then call the helpline with a clear question.
What to prepare before you apply
- Your CNIC and a copy of it.
- A short written account of what happened. Dates, names, amounts.
- Any papers you have: an FIR, notices, contracts, receipts.
- Proof of income if you are applying for state aid.
- Keep copies of everything you submit.
Free legal aid never charges a fee. If anyone asks for a processing charge or a deposit to arrange free aid, that is a warning sign. Verify the organization first and do not pay.
What this means for you
Free legal help in Pakistan is real but it has limits. Helplines give advice fast. Portals work for complaints you can file yourself. State aid and the bar committees cover criminal cases and court matters, but they take time.
Start with one phone call or one online form today. The number for your problem is in this guide.
More guides live on our blog, and you can start from the home page.
Ask Lexiber free in English or Urdu. It shows you the exact section behind every answer.
