At PridePakistan.org, it deeply saddens us that you are in a position where you need to look for legal support. Facing state authorities, arbitrary arrests, or fraudulent cases (fake FIRs) is one of the most terrifying experiences an individual can face in Pakistan. We see your struggle, we understand your fear, and you are not alone.

Please Note Our Limitations: Pride Pakistan is a grassroots, volunteer-led group. We do not have the financial resources or permanent legal staff to hire lawyers, pay bail, or represent you directly in court. If you would like to be kept informed about future direct legal aid programs or resource updates, please fill out our official Membership Form.

The Harsh Legal Reality in Pakistan

In Pakistan, there are zero laws protecting gay, lesbian, or queer individuals from state prosecution or discriminatory authorities. In fact, homosexual activity remains explicitly criminalized under Article 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Furthermore, the state frequently weaponizes laws like the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to target individuals for the digital content they view or share.

Because of this systemic prejudice, authorities and corrupt officers often use “fake FIRs” or manufactured charges to extort, blackmail, or imprison members of our community.

Critical Crisis Guide: What to Do If You Are Arrested

If you find yourself detained by the police or are being threatened with a fake FIR, your immediate actions are vital to your defense. Most authorities look to gather information quickly under duress to build a case against you.

1. Exercise Your Right to Stay Silent

• Do not confess and do not provide details: You are not legally required to incriminate yourself. Politely but firmly state that you will not give a formal statement or answer specific questions until you have a lawyer present.
• Do not reveal your identity or community connections: Avoid sharing details about your personal life, your orientation, or your friends. Any name or number you give can be used to target other vulnerable individuals.

2. The Danger of Forced Video Confessions and Torture

• It is a common practice for local police to use physical or psychological torture to force individuals to record video confessions or sign blank papers. They might threaten you with brutal violence if you do not admit to a crime.
• They may also fabricate evidence, such as claiming the “recovery of drugs” that you did not possess, or planting adult/pornographic content onto your mobile phone during an illegal search.
• Important Legal Defense: If you are forced to make a statement or video confession under police influence, torture, or threat of violence, this can be legally challenged in court. A confession made to a police officer while in custody is generally not admissible as primary evidence under Article 38 of the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984. Tell your lawyer immediately if any statement or video was forced out of you.

3. Access to a Lawyer and Free Legal Aid

• Under Article 10 of the Constitution of Pakistan, every arrested person has the right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice.
• The Reality of State Counsel: While international standards demand that the state provide a lawyer if you cannot afford one, the local public defender system is heavily underfunded and deeply flawed. In Pakistan, state authorities can and do prosecute individuals without functional representation.
• according to reports by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), approximately 70 percent of individuals in Pakistani prisons are held without proper or complete trials, often trapped in the judicial system simply because they lack legal counsel.

How to Choose a Safe Lawyer

When seeking representation, do not randomly select a lawyer from the court gates, as many hold deeply homophobic views.

• Look for Gender-Affirming Allies: Seek out lawyers who have an established history of working on human rights, women’s rights, or transgender issues. These professionals are far more likely to understand bodily autonomy, privacy, and systemic police misconduct.
• Transgender Representation: Look to pioneers like Advocate Nisha Rao in Karachi, a professional transgender lawyer who deeply understands gender-related laws and local police vulnerabilities.
• Consult Protective Desks: In major cities, you can reach out to dedicated Protection Centers (such as the Tahaffuz Centers in Punjab or Gender Protection Units) to connect with vetted, friendly legal professionals.

Nationwide Legal Aid and Human Rights Resource Table

The table below lists established legal aid clinics, human rights organizations, and support groups across different regions of Pakistan. These organizations provide pro-bono representation, legal advice, or protection tracking for marginalized communities.

We are actively working to expand our connections with independent, gender-expert defense attorneys across less-represented regions like Quetta and Gilgit. Stay safe, understand your rights, and secure your digital communications.

My name is Murtaza* and I am a gay man from Pakistan. My boyfriend Ali* and I were in a relationship for 7 years before we left Pakistan. We always wanted to live as a couple, but it was never possible there. Before we left, I was the director of my own company where he worked as a manager. We were able to travel to different countries for business, but also spend quality time together which was only possible abroad. 

When his extended family found out he was travelling with me, they became very suspicious. After we came back from a long trip, they started questioning why I was spending so much money and giving these opportunities to my boyfriend but not any of the other managers. They started harming Ali and his family. 

When I had a chance to come to the UK for a meeting a few months later, I wanted to take Ali with me as usual. His family stopped him and told him that people were talking about us and it would give a bad impression for him to go with me. Ali didn’t listen to them and told them he was going with a different director instead. When we were in the UK, his family found out that he lied and he was here with me, his boyfriend. They started threatening us, saying “If you come back, we will not spare you. We will kill you. We’ll make an example of you because you are giving a bad name to the family, the country and the religion.” 

“When we were in the UK, his family found out that he lied and he was here with me, his boyfriend. They started threatening us, saying “If you come back, we will not spare you. We will kill you.””

I had already known about Rainbow Migration because I used to search online for organisations who may be able to help, even when I was still in Pakistan. When we started receiving the threats and knew that we could not go back to Pakistan, I emailed Rainbow Migration for information and they replied straight away. Within a couple of hours, the Legal Services Manager called me and guided me through the entire process, what’s going to happen and how to apply for asylum if we’re in fear of persecution, and encouraged us to apply if we think our life is in danger. We followed her advice exactly and called the Home Office, who arranged the initial interview after 3-4 days. 

My boyfriend had a substantive interview just over a year after we first claimed asylum, while I had to wait about 18 months. We were both granted status shortly after the interviews. We had a lot of evidence because we had already been in a relationship for 7 years by the time we applied for asylum. We had pictures together throughout our relationship, back in Pakistan and in different countries, and evidence that we travelled together. Since coming to the UK, we have been living together. We were out and always looked after each other.  

It was very frustrating having to prove my sexuality. In the final interview, the immigration officer asked my why it’s important for me to live as gay. I asked her why it’s important for her or anyone else to live as straight. If it’s important for a straight couple to live openly, then it’s our right to live as an open couple as well. These questions should not be there in the first place – they would never ask a straight person this.

Rainbow Migration was very helpful because they referred us to pro bono lawyers. Amina* kept following everything that was happening, and Farah* was very nice and helpful as well. She used to run the online Asylum Advice Sessions and reply to my emails. I had a very good experience with Rainbow Migration. If Rainbow Migration was not there, [getting refugee status] would not have been possible in our case. 

Before Rainbow Migration referred us to pro bono lawyers, I spoke to a couple of lawyers but they were not interested in the case. They were only after money. The only people who were willing to help were asking for £7,000 which we could not afford, and it was very hard to find legal aid. I left everything back in Pakistan, I had no money and we were only surviving because our family and friends were supporting us for basic necessities. 

“It was very frustrating having to prove my sexuality. In the final interview, the immigration officer asked my why it’s important for me to live as gay. I asked her why it’s important for her or anyone else to live as straight.”

It was very frustrating waiting over a year while we were not allowed to work. We are really lucky that we had some savings and family and friends who supported us, so we did not live in government accommodation. I’m very grateful to them for helping us, but I feel guilty that they had to spend the money. I had no other choice. People seeking asylum should be given decisions faster and allowed to work and support themselves. Many people don’t come from wealthy backgrounds and don’t have people to support them, so they have to survive off less than £200 a month, which is not enough to do anything. 

It’s really frustrating to hear the comments about people seeking asylum. People come here for protection, when they are not safe in their countries. Personally, I had a very well-off life in Pakistan, and we only came to the UK to live as a couple. I didn’t even tell anyone here was seeking asylum. I’m sure many others are in the same situation.   

Now that I have refugee status, I am doing some online work and my partner is learning English and working as a delivery driver. I have a lot of experience but I have not been able to find a job yet, as everywhere I apply says I am overqualified or I need experience in the UK. The other difficulty that we are facing is that we are limited in the countries we can travel to, and their different rules for people with travel documents than passports.  

I’m glad that I’m in a safer environment and that Ali and I can live as a couple – that’s the most important thing. Still, even though it’s very safe here, I still see that some people are unhappy or annoyed when they see us together, but not when they see straight couples. We came all this way, but if there are a lot of people, I hesitate to show affection to my boyfriend. I hope that will change soon. 

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the interviewee and his partner.

This article is being shared from RainbowMigration UK page. Read the original article on Rainbow Migration UK site here