Answers to the questions clients ask most

A writ petition is filed under Article 199 of the Constitution of Pakistan before the Lahore High Court. It must show a violation of fundamental rights or unlawful executive action and the absence of an equally efficacious alternate remedy. The petitioner files a memo of petition with grounds, list of dates, synopsis and annexures, accompanied by a court fee of approximately PKR 5,000 and an affidavit. Once filed via the LHC e-court portal, the petition is numbered and listed before a Bench within 1–4 weeks. Rasheed & Associates regularly file constitutional petitions, intra-court appeals (ICA) and Supreme Court petitions arising from LHC orders.

Legal fees in Lahore vary by complexity, court, and seniority of counsel. A standard consultation at our firm is offered free of cost or at a nominal fee. Drafting a legal notice typically costs PKR 5,000–25,000. A bail application may cost PKR 50,000–250,000 depending on the offence. Civil suits are usually engaged at a retainer plus per-appearance fee. Constitutional and corporate matters are scoped on a case-by-case basis. We always provide a written engagement letter setting out the fee structure before commencing work.

A Muslim woman seeking dissolution of marriage on the ground of khula files a suit in the Family Court of competent jurisdiction under the West Pakistan Family Courts Act, 1964. The court issues notice to the husband and attempts reconciliation through pre-trial mediation. If reconciliation fails, the court dissolves the marriage on terms — typically the wife returning the haq mehr already received. The Family Court is required to dispose of the suit within 6 months. Once decreed, the Union Council issues an effective certificate after the iddat period of 90 days, after which the woman can lawfully remarry.

Bail in Pakistan is governed by Sections 496–498 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. For bailable offences bail is a matter of right. For non-bailable offences, bail is at the discretion of the court considering the gravity of the offence, the evidence, and the probability of fair trial. Pre-arrest (anticipatory) bail is sought under Section 498 CrPC before the Sessions Court or High Court before arrest is effected. Post-arrest bail is moved before the same forums after arrest. Our firm prepares the bail application with grounds rooted in 'further inquiry' jurisprudence and case law of the Lahore High Court.

Begin with a title search at the Sub-Registrar and Revenue authorities to obtain fard malkiat, mutation history, and registered deeds. A legal notice is then served on the opposing party. If unresolved, a suit is filed before the competent civil court in Lahore — for declaration, possession, partition, or specific performance — accompanied by an application for stay/temporary injunction to preserve the property. Decrees are executed through Revenue authorities or the Sub-Registrar. Most contested property suits in Punjab take 2–4 years; effective counsel can substantially shorten this through focused pleadings and strategic use of summary procedures.

Yes. Overseas Pakistanis routinely engage Rasheed & Associates from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, the Gulf and Europe. We act under a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) attested at the Pakistani Embassy/Consulate in the country of residence and verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. Once the SPA is in place, we can file, defend, and execute property, inheritance, family and commercial matters without the client travelling to Pakistan. Hearing updates are provided by email and WhatsApp; payments are accepted via bank transfer.

District Courts are courts of original civil and criminal jurisdiction — they conduct trials and pass decrees and judgments. The Lahore High Court is primarily a court of appellate and writ jurisdiction. It hears appeals from District Courts, special tribunals, and writ petitions under Article 199 of the Constitution. Some matters (like company petitions, banking appeals, and tax references) lie directly to the High Court. Whether your matter is filed at the District Court or LHC depends on the relief sought and the governing statute.

Company registration in Pakistan is centralised with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). The process is: (1) reserve a unique name on SECP eServices, (2) file incorporation documents (Memorandum, Articles, Form 1, Form 21, Form 29, CNICs of subscribers and directors), (3) obtain Certificate of Incorporation, (4) register for NTN with FBR, (5) open a corporate bank account. Our firm handles end-to-end incorporation of Private Limited, Single-Member (SMC), and Public Limited companies in 7–14 working days, including post-incorporation compliance.

Required documents typically include: (1) original title document (registered sale deed, allotment letter, or mutation), (2) original CNICs of buyer and seller plus two attested copies, (3) recent fard malkiat (within 30 days), (4) NOC from the relevant housing authority (DHA, LDA, Bahria Town, etc.) where applicable, (5) photographs of buyer and seller, (6) proof of payment, (7) registered agreement to sell, and (8) registered sale deed at the Sub-Registrar's office. Stamp duty, registration fee, CVT and town tax are payable at registration. Our firm conducts pre-purchase due diligence to verify title and absence of encumbrances.

A constitutional petition under Article 199 is filed at the Lahore High Court principal seat in Lahore (or Bench at Rawalpindi, Multan, or Bahawalpur). The petition must establish: (1) the petitioner is an aggrieved person, (2) there is unlawful executive/quasi-judicial action or violation of a fundamental right, (3) no equally efficacious alternate remedy exists. Drafting requires a memo of petition, grounds, list of dates, synopsis, and annexures. Our firm files via the LHC e-court portal and pursues the matter to interim relief, final orders, intra-court appeal, and Supreme Court where merited.