Call 1818 for Free Legal Aid: Supreme Court of Pakistan Links Helpline to Bar Councils
From 9 October 2026, Supreme Court helpline 1818 gives free legal advice and takes free lawyer requests, decided by a Bar Council in 7 days. Who can apply.
You can now call 1818, the Supreme Court of Pakistan's helpline, to get free legal advice and to ask for a free lawyer. The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, agreed the system with the Pakistan Bar Council and bar representatives on 9 October 2026. A Bar Council must decide each free lawyer request within seven days.
The Supreme Court announced the arrangement in a press release the same day, which the Press Information Department also carried. It joins three bodies that used to work apart: the Supreme Court's 1818 call centre, the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, and the Bar Councils that actually assign free lawyers.
1818 now gives free legal advice and takes free lawyer requests
Under the new system, a caller to 1818 speaks to an expert legal advisor at the Supreme Court's call centre. The advisor answers questions about a court case, gives legal advice and explains the right next step. A caller who cannot afford a lawyer can ask for free legal aid on the same call.
1818 itself is not new. The Supreme Court already lists it on its website as its public helpline for case queries. What changed on 9 October is the route behind it. Before, a caller could get guidance but had no defined path to an actual lawyer. Now the call starts a referral with a deadline.
The meeting was held at the Supreme Court in Islamabad. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb joined the Chief Justice. Pir Mohammad Masood Chishti, Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, Tahir Nasrullah, Chairman of the Council's Legal Aid Committee, and Haroon ur Rashid, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, took part, with the Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission.
How a free lawyer request moves after you call
Your request passes through four hands. The call centre records it, the Law and Justice Commission routes it, a Bar Council decides it, and you are told the result. The release sets only one deadline: seven days for the Bar Council's decision.
- Call 1818. Tell the legal advisor about your case and say you want free legal aid.
- The advisor records your details. The release says the advisor notes your name and the relevant case details.
- The request goes to the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP). A dedicated cell inside the Commission receives these requests. LJCP is a federal body chaired by the Chief Justice that works on legal reform and access to justice.
- The LJCP cell sends it to the right Bar Council. That is the Pakistan Bar Council or the Bar Council of your province.
- The Bar Council decides within seven days. It checks whether you and your case are eligible for free legal aid.
- You are told the decision. If approved, the Bar Council tells you how to get the lawyer and what to do next.
Who qualifies for a free lawyer through 1818
Anyone can call 1818 for advice. A free lawyer is meant for litigants who cannot afford one, and the relevant Bar Council decides each case. The release does not publish an income limit, so treat the Bar Council's own rules as the test.
The Pakistan Bar Council's own free legal aid application, under its Free Legal Aid Rules of 1999, shows what it looks at. We opened the form on its website. It asks for:
- your name, father's name and CNIC number
- your source of earning and your monthly income from all sources
- any movable or immovable property you own, and why you still need help if you do
- whether you pay income tax or wealth tax
- whether you are entitled to receive Zakat
- the nature and details of your case, pending or still to be filed
The form also carries a promise that matters. If your details turn out to be false, you must repay the Bar Council what it spent on your case. And any costs the court awards in your favour go to the Bar Council's free legal aid fund. Be truthful on the call, because the advisor's notes become your application.
| Body | Its job in the 1818 system |
|---|---|
| Supreme Court 1818 call centre | Legal advice, records free aid requests |
| Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan | New dedicated cell receives and forwards requests |
| Pakistan Bar Council | Decides requests sent to it within seven days |
| Provincial Bar Councils | Decide requests from their province within seven days |
| Bar Council legal aid committee | Provides the free lawyer once approved |
What 1818 will not do for you
The call centre advises and refers. It does not file your case, appear in court for you or decide whether you get a lawyer. That decision belongs to the Bar Council, and the seven day clock starts when the Bar Council receives the request, not when you call.
Two things are still missing from the official record. The release does not say when the LJCP cell will start work, and it does not give the call centre's hours. We could not reach the Supreme Court's helpline page in readable form, so we cannot confirm the hours either. If you call and the free aid route is not yet running, ask the advisor for the date.
Overseas Pakistanis with a case in the Supreme Court have a separate channel. The Court's Overseas Litigants Facilitation Cell takes WhatsApp messages at 0326-4442444, as listed on its website.
Other free lawyer routes still open
1818 adds a new front door. It does not close the old ones. If your case is criminal and you are in Islamabad, the Legal Aid and Justice Authority already gives a free lawyer for a criminal case on its own application. Provinces run their own systems too.
In Punjab, the Punjab Legal Aid Agency pays for a free lawyer in Punjab for people accused of an offence and women in family disputes. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has its own legal aid route in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including district committees chaired by the District and Sessions Judge. You can also still apply to the Pakistan Bar Council directly through the free legal aid form on its website.
Before you call, find your case number and the court's name. If you are unsure of either, you can check your court case status online first. An advisor can do much more with a case number than with a story.
Common questions
What number do I call for free legal aid from the Supreme Court?
Call 1818. It is the Supreme Court of Pakistan's public helpline, and from 9 October 2026 it handles free legal advice and free lawyer requests.
Is the legal advice on 1818 free?
Yes. The Supreme Court describes it as free legal advice from an expert legal advisor at the call centre.
How long does it take to get a free lawyer?
The Bar Council must decide within seven days of receiving your request. The time to then assign a lawyer is not stated.
Who decides if I qualify for a free lawyer?
The Pakistan Bar Council or your provincial Bar Council. Its own form asks about your income, property, tax status and Zakat eligibility.
Can I use 1818 for a case in a district court?
The release covers queries about litigation and legal cases in general, and requests go to provincial Bar Councils, so it is not limited to Supreme Court cases.
Does the Supreme Court give me the lawyer itself?
No. The Court's call centre advises and refers. The lawyer comes through the relevant Bar Council's legal aid system.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 10 October 2026, about 7:00 am PKT. The mechanism, the seven day rule and the names of those present are from the Supreme Court's press release of 9 October 2026, also issued as PID press release No. 118, and listed on the Supreme Court of Pakistan website with 1818 as its public helpline. The eligibility questions are from the Pakistan Bar Council free legal aid application. The start date of the LJCP cell and the call centre's hours were not published when we checked.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
