How to Send a Section 80 Notice Before Suing the Government in Pakistan

Short answer: Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure says a suit against the Government or a public officer for an official act may be filed after two months from a written notice. The notice must state your cause of action, name, address and relief, and your plaint must say it was sent.

If a department wrongly cancelled your allotment, held back your dues or seized your property, you may want to go to court. Before you file, the law asks you to give the department a chance to fix the matter. That step is the section 80 notice.

We read the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 on the Pakistan Code portal (pakistancode.gov.pk) on 14 October 2026, sections 80 to 82. This guide explains what the text says. It is general information, not legal advice for your case.

The notice is needed before a suit against the Government or an officer

Section 80(1) covers a suit against the Government, or against a public officer for an act done in his official capacity. It says the suit may be filed after two months have passed from the date the written notice was delivered or left at the right office.

So the clock is simple. Day one is the day the notice reaches the office. The earliest day you may sue is after two months from that day. A suit about a private matter, such as a private loan between two citizens, does not need this notice.

This notice is different from a defamation or demand notice you send to a private person. If you need that other kind, read our guide on sending a defamation notice over a false post.

Send the notice to the office the section names

Section 80(1) names who must receive the notice. For the Federal Government it is a Secretary to that Government. For a Provincial Government it is a Secretary to that Government or the Collector of the District. For a railway suit it is the General Manager.

For a public officer, the notice is delivered to him or left at his office. The words are "delivered to or left at the office of". Keep proof of delivery, such as a courier receipt or a receiving stamp.

The notice must state four things

Section 80(1) says the notice must state the cause of action, your name, your description and place of residence, and the relief you claim. If one is missing, the notice may not meet the section.

1. Write who you are: full name, father's or husband's name, occupation and address.
2. Write the cause of action in plain order: what the department did, on what date, and how it harmed you.
3. Write the relief you claim: payment of an amount, return of property, or cancellation of an order.
4. Address it to the correct officer from the table and deliver it with proof.
5. Wait two months, then file the plaint with a line saying the notice was delivered.

Keep the language short.

Do not mix several complaints in one notice. If you have two separate causes of action, send two notices. Your signature and the date should be on every copy.

The plaint must say the notice was delivered

Section 80(1) ends by saying the plaint shall contain a statement that the notice was delivered or left. Your lawyer writes this line in the plaint. Attach the notice and the proof of delivery as documents.

Check the time limit as well. A suit has its own period under the Limitation Act, and two months of waiting uses part of it. See our guide on how long you have to sue in Pakistan before you start counting.

Skipping the notice has a cost, not an automatic end

Section 80(2) says that if you sue without the notice, or before two months pass, or the plaint lacks the statement, you are not entitled to costs when the matter is settled or the Government concedes your claim within two months of filing.

The same subsection adds that where the suit is filed without notice, the court shall allow the Government not less than three months to submit its written statement. Whether a court will go further in a given case depends on its rulings, which we did not review. Ask a lawyer.

Two more sections matter once you win. Section 81 says a public officer sued for an official act is not liable to arrest and his property is not attached, except in execution of a decree. Section 82 says a decree against the Government names a time to satisfy it. If it is not satisfied, the court reports to the Provincial Government, and execution cannot issue until the decree stays unsatisfied for three months from that report.

If you cannot afford a lawyer for this, our guide on getting a free lawyer in Punjab lists the route.

Common questions

How long must I wait after sending the notice?

Section 80(1) says the suit may be filed after the expiry of two months next after the notice was delivered or left at the office.

Do I need a notice to sue a private company?

Section 80 applies to suits against the Government or a public officer for an official act. It does not cover a private company or a private person.

Can I send the notice myself without a lawyer?

The section does not say a lawyer must send it. It says the notice must be in writing and state the four required items. A lawyer helps with the wording of the cause of action and relief.

What if I filed a suit without the notice?

Section 80(2) says you lose the right to costs if the matter is settled or conceded within two months of filing, and the Government gets at least three months for its written statement.

Which officer receives the notice in a provincial suit?

A Secretary to the Provincial Government or the Collector of the District, as section 80(1)(b) says.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read sections 80, 81 and 82 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 in the PDF on the Pakistan Code portal (pakistancode.gov.pk) on 14 October 2026. We did not read court rulings on how strictly judges treat a missing notice, and rules for particular departments may add steps. Confirm the current wording and your forum with a lawyer before you file.