Just a few days ago, on a sunny morning at 10:30 am, I had the privilege of sitting across from two remarkable individuals, Kamran and Rukhsana Parveen Khokar. With great skill, their fingers swiftly moved across the laptop keyboards as they recounted a profoundly meaningful narrative. This tale revolved around the Sindh Legal Advisory Call Centre (SLACC), a generous offering from the Sindh Government to the entire Pakistani populace.
"Kashif Sahab, our call centre received a total of 3,492 calls in the month of August this year, which was up 56.87% from July, the last month, after the public awareness campaign on national television, run in collaboration with the Sindh Government, was a success," Kamran informed me with a subtle smile on his face.
Rukhsana chimed in, "Yes, and let me tell you its further break-up, Sir."
"The majority of the phone calls, 1,613 to be exact, were received from Karachi, followed by Hyderabad, Lahore, Khairpur, and Larkana at 225, 196, 82, and 70 calls, respectively. The average age of callers was 41, with 24% of the callers being females. However, many times, males called in to ask on behalf of the females in their household, so the figure is much higher."
Kamran Khan and Rukhsana Parveen Khokhar are dedicated members of the Legal Aid Society (LAS) and have been entrusted with SLACC's operation. The centre was initially established by LAS, a Karachi-based not-for-profit organization, in 2014 and later evolved into a successful public-private partnership in 2018 with the Government of Sindh through the Law Department. The provincial government, under the Legal Empowerment of People Program in Sindh (LEPPS), provides invaluable support to SLACC, offering high-quality, free-of-cost legal advice to citizens across Pakistan. The service, accessible at 0800-70806, has been a beacon of guidance for citizens on legal issues ranging from domestic disputes to violence, socio-economic matters, Zakat and Ushr, business disputes, and more since its inception.
Under the watchful eye of former Supreme Court Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, a panel of expert lawyers operates the call centre daily from 9 am to 5 pm, providing real-time advice to callers facing legal dilemmas. After hours, an automated recording system captures calls, and callers are contacted the following day for assistance. The recorded call data is preserved for up to a year. Furthermore, the upcoming integration of SLACC into the Sindh Chief Secretary's complaint portal promises to empower marginalized communities and expedite the resolution of public service issues.
My visit to SLACC was driven by my ceaseless quest for human impact stories that revolve around the well-being of the masses. Rukhsana and Kamran graciously shared their insights and made room for my inquiries during our conversation. With a sip of strong black coffee, I asked about the categories of civil and criminal law cases that the centre receives the most calls about.
Rukhsana replied, "The top 5 civil law case categories are family law, partition law, service law, civil procedure law, and specific relief act. On the other hand, the top 5 categories for criminal law cases pertaining to the code of criminal procedure, female-based gender violence, miscellaneous, illegal disposition, and offences under the Pakistan penal code."
Kamran added, "In the month of August, 41 cases were referred to the organization's Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) wing, which facilitates dialogue between parties and provides trained mediators to expedite settlements and deliver swift relief. Additionally, 64 cases were referred to a sister wing of LAS called Women's Right to Legal and Matrimonial Property (WRLMP), which takes up cases for women who lack the financial resources to fight for their rights."
Placing greater emphasis on inquiries from female callers regarding their legal entitlement to marital assets, Rukhsana and Kamran conveyed that a senior researcher affiliated with LAS noted, "The heightened inflation rates are leading to an increased number of individuals asserting their rights to inheritances. Moreover, there has been a surge in women seeking guidance on separation and maintenance issues involving abusive spouses. These statistics should serve as a catalyst for policymakers, bar associations, and law enforcement agencies to allocate appropriate funding to address these concerns. They will also provide valuable insights for aspiring law graduates, helping them better comprehend the challenges faced by people at the grassroots level."
As my meeting with Rukhsana and Kamran came to an end, I conveyed my appreciation and departed, equipped with a deep understanding of the invaluable services provided by SLACC. I went back to compose this article, with the aspiration that it would raise awareness and enhance legal empowerment for individuals throughout Pakistan.–Contributed by Kashif Shamim Siddiqui