The Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Yahya Afridi, held an interactive meeting with representatives of the legal fraternity to finalise a coordinated mechanism for providing free legal advice and facilitating access to free legal aid through the Supreme Court’s 1818 Call Centre. The meeting agreed to collaborate between the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), the Pakistan Bar Council, and the provincial Bar Councils, with applications for free legal aid to be decided within seven days of receipt by the relevant Bar Council, and the outcome communicated to the applicant.
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb accompanied the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan. Participants included Mr. Pir Mohammad Masood Chishti, Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council; Mr. Tahir Nasrullah, Chairman, Legal Aid Committee, Pakistan Bar Council; Mr. Haroon ur Rashid, President, Supreme Court Bar Association; the Registrar, Supreme Court of Pakistan; Capt. (Retd) Mushtaq Ahmad, Secretary, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan; and other representatives of the Bar.
The deliberations focused on establishing a clear, accessible process for citizens seeking guidance on litigation and legal cases, particularly litigants who cannot afford legal representation. The arrangement will link initial requests for assistance to the institutions responsible for assessing eligibility and arranging free legal aid.
Under the agreed mechanism, a litigant or applicant may call 1818 to seek free legal advice or request free legal aid. An expert legal advisor available at the Call Centre will address queries relating to litigation and legal cases, provide legal advice and guide callers on the appropriate course of action. Where a caller seeks free legal aid, the legal advisor will record the applicant’s name and relevant case details and forward the application to the LJCP for referral.
A dedicated cell will be established within the LJCP to receive and coordinate these applications. The cell will serve as the institutional link between the Call Centre and the Bar Councils, ensuring that requests for free legal aid are forwarded to the Pakistan Bar Council or the relevant provincial Bar Council for consideration through the coordinated referral mechanism.
The LJCP will collaborate with the Pakistan Bar Council and the provincial Bar Councils to facilitate the processing of referred applications. The relevant Bar Council will examine each application and decide, within seven days of its receipt, whether the applicant and case are eligible for free legal aid. Applications found suitable will be taken forward for the provision of free legal assistance through the relevant Bar Council’s legal aid mechanism.
The decision on each application will be communicated to the litigant or applicant. Where free legal aid is approved, the applicant will also be informed of the arrangements for obtaining assistance and the next steps to be followed. This process will provide callers with a defined route from initial legal advice to referral, an eligibility decision and, where approved, access to free legal assistance.
The coordinated arrangement aims to make legal guidance more accessible and reduce procedural difficulties for people seeking assistance. By bringing the Call Centre, the LJCP and the Bar Councils into a common referral process, the initiative seeks to ensure that deserving applicants can approach the appropriate legal aid forum and receive a timely response.
The initiative reflects the judiciary's and the legal fraternity's shared commitment to improving access to justice, particularly for vulnerable and underprivileged citizens, through practical institutional cooperation and timely consideration of requests for free legal aid.
