How to Register a Society in Pakistan Under the 1860 Act

Registering a society in Pakistan runs through the Societies Registration Act 1860, and it starts with a headcount: 20 members, at least 7 of them office bearers, before you draft a single document. We keep seeing founding groups write their rules first and only then realise they are three members short. Get the people lined up before the paperwork.

A society is one specific legal form, not a catch-all word for any group with a good cause. Welfare committees, alumni associations, sports clubs and cultural bodies typically fit here. A cooperative housing scheme does not, and we explain exactly where that line sits further down.

What counts as a society under the 1860 Act

A society under this Act is a body of members pursuing a charitable, literary, scientific, educational or similarly social purpose, governed by a memorandum and rules rather than by shares or a trust deed.

That rules out a few things people often lump in with "society registration." A cooperative society, including a cooperative housing or credit society, files under a separate Cooperative Societies law, not the 1860 Act. And a housing society as a land development scheme needs CDA or LDA scheme approval, which is a question about the land itself, entirely separate from the legal entity that runs it. Confusing the two is common, and it sends applicants to the wrong office.

Documents you need before you apply

Two documents carry the weight of the application: the memorandum of association and the rules, sometimes called the articles.

The memorandum states the society's name, its objects and the names of its first governing body members, and every member signs it. The rules cover membership, how meetings are called, how office bearers are elected and for how long, and at least three office bearers have to sign every page of them.

1. Confirm you have at least 20 members and 7 office bearers, each with a CNIC.
2. Draft the memorandum of association, naming the society's objects clearly.
3. Write the rules, covering membership, meetings and office bearer terms.
4. Hold a first meeting of members and record its minutes properly in writing.
5. Deposit the fee and file everything with your province's Registrar of Societies.

Add CNICs for every member and office bearer, a list of office bearers with phone numbers, and proof of an office address, whether owned or leased. A registrar checking the file is looking for exactly this set, not for anything exotic.

Office bearers, members and the registration fee

Islamabad Capital Territory's own registration page confirms the 20 member, 7 office bearer threshold and a registration fee of Rs 500, deposited at National Bank of Pakistan under a specific account head for society registration.

That Rs 500 figure is confirmed for Islamabad specifically. Punjab's Registrar of Societies sits under the province's Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Mal Department, and Sindh's and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's sit under their own Social Welfare Departments, each potentially running a slightly different fee or form. Confirm the current figure with your province's office rather than assuming the Islamabad number travels everywhere.

Where to file and how long it takes

You file the completed set, memorandum, rules, minutes, CNICs and the fee receipt, with the Registrar of Societies for your province or territory. In Islamabad, that sits with the ICT Administration's Industries Department.

Processing commonly runs about a month where records are complete, though a file missing a signature or short on members goes back to you rather than forward, which is the single biggest cause of delay we see. Check everything against the list above before you submit, because a registrar correcting your paperwork by mail costs more time than catching it yourself first.

What a registered society must keep doing afterward

Registration is not a one-time event. A society has to file annual progress or activity reports, audited accounts, and an updated list of office bearers with the registrar every year to stay in good standing.

Skip that filing for a few years running and some registrars treat the society as defunct, which creates real problems if it holds a bank account, property or an ongoing project. If the society plans to raise money from the public, it is also worth checking how donors go about confirming a charity is actually registered before giving, since that is exactly the kind of ongoing compliance a donor or a bank will ask to see.

Common questions about society registration in Pakistan

How many members does a society need to register in Pakistan?

At least 20 members, including at least 7 office bearers, based on the Societies Registration Act 1860 as applied in Islamabad.

Can a housing society register under the Societies Registration Act?

A housing scheme's land approval is a separate CDA or LDA question. If it also runs as a members' body for welfare or community purposes, that part can register as a society, but the land itself is approved separately.

Is a cooperative society the same as a society under the 1860 Act?

No. A cooperative society, including a cooperative housing or credit society, registers under a separate Cooperative Societies law with its own registrar.

What is the registration fee for a society in Pakistan?

Confirmed at Rs 500 in Islamabad, deposited at National Bank of Pakistan. Other provinces may set a different fee, so check with your provincial Registrar of Societies.

Does a registered society have to file anything after registration?

Yes. It must file annual progress or activity reports, audited accounts and an updated office bearer list to stay in good standing with its registrar.

How we verified this

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

Last checked on 5 October 2026. We read the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration's own page on society and NGO registration, which confirms the member thresholds, required documents and the Rs 500 fee for the federal territory. We did not read the Societies Registration Act 1860's own statutory text at source, so the process above reflects the ICT Administration's implementation of it rather than quoted section numbers, and provincial fees outside Islamabad are reported, not confirmed.