On 15 April 2026 in Islamabad, the Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LAJA) and the Legal Aid Society (LAS) signed a memorandum of understanding at the Ministry of Law and Justice to strengthen Legal Aid delivery across Pakistan.
The ceremony was attended by Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law and Justice, whose support has been highlighted as central to building stronger legal aid systems, assisting marginalized communities, empowering bar associations and promoting innovation through legal technology and AI-driven solutions.
Under the MoU, LAJA and LAS committed to a formal framework for cooperation focused on information sharing, joint programming, capacity building and coordinated advocacy to expand Legal Aid access, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory where barriers to justice remain acute.
The partnership outlines practical measures including delivery of pro bono and subsidized legal aid services, deployment of community paralegals, creation of multilingual legal awareness resources and expansion of technology-enabled assistance such as remote services and helplines to reach underserved populations.
Institutional strengthening is a core pillar of the agreement, with plans for training programmes for justice sector stakeholders, joint research on access to justice and development of knowledge products and best practices to be shared at national and international forums. Both organisations have also agreed to maintain high professional standards and ensure effective coordination through designated focal points to secure sustainable Legal Aid outcomes.
