Quick Answer
This glossary explains, in plain English, the Pakistani legal terms clients ask about most — khula, mutation, NAB reference, ejectment, power of attorney and more — each linked to the practice page that covers it in full.
Legal information reviewed by Advocate Muhammad Awais Ahsan Joiya · Last reviewed: September 2026
Legal terms in Pakistan often carry a specific meaning that differs from everyday usage — and getting that meaning wrong is how people misjudge their own situation. This glossary gives short, accurate definitions of the terms that come up most often in family, criminal, property, banking, corporate and overseas Pakistani matters, each linked to a full guide.
- Khula
- A wife's right to seek dissolution of her marriage through the Family Court, without needing her husband's consent, generally on the condition that she returns the dower (haq mehr) she received. Read the full guide →
- Talaq
- Divorce pronounced by the husband, which must be followed by notice to the relevant Union Council and a 90-day reconciliation period under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 before it takes legal effect. Read the full guide →
- Haq Mehr (Dower)
- The amount or property a husband agrees to pay his wife at marriage, recorded in the nikahnama. It becomes a debt owed to the wife and is relevant to both khula and inheritance matters. Read the full guide →
- Hizanat
- The Islamic law concept generally giving the mother custody of young children, subject to conditions; it is one factor among several a Guardian Court weighs, not an automatic rule. Read the full guide →
- Guardian Certificate
- A court document authorising a parent or appointed guardian to manage a minor's property or inheritance, separate from a custody order, which only decides who the child lives with. Read the full guide →
- Anticipatory (Pre-Arrest) Bail
- Bail sought before arrest, under Section 498 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, where a person fears arrest in a case they believe is false or motivated by malice. Read the full guide →
- Post-Arrest Bail
- Bail sought after arrest, under Section 497 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, once a person is already in custody. Read the full guide →
- NAB Reference
- The formal charge filed by the National Accountability Bureau before an Accountability Court, moving a matter from inquiry to trial. Read the full guide →
- Section 489-F PPC
- The Pakistan Penal Code provision criminalising the dishonest issuance of a cheque that is later dishonoured on presentation, distinct from any civil recovery claim for the same amount. Read the full guide →
- Ejectment Suit
- A civil suit used to remove a tenant whose right to occupy a property has ended, as distinct from a recovery-of-possession suit against someone with no lawful right at all. Read the full guide →
- Adverse Possession
- A doctrine under which long, uninterrupted possession of property without the owner's acknowledgment can, in limited circumstances, defeat a registered owner's title over time. Read the full guide →
- Mutation (Intiqal)
- The revenue-record entry updating recorded ownership after a sale, gift, or inheritance. It is administrative evidence of a transfer, not proof of title on its own. Read the full guide →
- Writ Petition
- An application to the High Court under Article 199 of the Constitution, used to challenge an unlawful act of a government body or to enforce a fundamental right, generally only where no adequate alternative remedy exists. Read the full guide →
- Leave to Defend
- In a suit filed by a bank or financial institution under the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance 2001, the application a defendant must file, raising a genuine factual or legal dispute, before the case can proceed to trial. Read the full guide →
- SECP
- The Securities and Exchange Corporation of Pakistan, the regulator responsible for incorporating and regulating companies and LLPs under the Companies Act 2017. Read the full guide →
- LLP
- A Limited Liability Partnership, formed under the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2017, combining limited liability with a lighter, partnership-style management structure. Read the full guide →
- Power of Attorney (POA)
- A document authorising another person to act on one's behalf, commonly used by overseas Pakistanis to manage or sell property; it must be properly attested before Pakistani authorities will accept it. Read the full guide →
- Succession Certificate
- A court-issued document under the Succession Act 1925 authorising legal heirs to collect a deceased person's debts, bank balances, and securities. Read the full guide →
- Mubarat
- Dissolution of marriage by mutual consent, distinct from khula. Because both spouses agree the marriage should end, it generally moves faster than a contested khula suit. Read the full guide →