PRIVACY POLICY

1. Overview & Commitment to Data Privacy in Pakistan

Shahzad Rabbani & Associates ("SRALAW", "we", "us", or "our") is a premier law firm established under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. We are committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and integrity of all personal data submitted by website visitors, corporate clients, and consultation applicants. This Privacy Policy details our data collection, processing, protection, and retention protocols under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA 2016), the Electronic Transactions Ordinance, 2002 (ETO 2002), and the Canons of Professional Conduct of the Pakistan Bar Council.

2. Information We Collect Through Our Portal

We only collect data strictly necessary to assess legal controversies, perform mandatory conflict-of-interest checks, and maintain professional communications:

• Client Identification & Contact Data: Full name, corporate title, company registration name, direct telephone/mobile numbers, and official email addresses submitted through consultation booking forms.
• Preliminary Legal Case Information: Voluntarily provided factual summaries, practice area preferences (e.g. Corporate Law, Litigation, Forex Advisory, Banking Law), dispute descriptions, and procedural history.
• Technical & Digital Device Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, timestamp, and referring URLs collected automatically for security logging and cyber defense under PECA 2016 standards.

3. Legal Grounds & Purposes for Data Processing

We process personal information under the following legitimate and statutory legal grounds in Pakistan:

• Conducting mandatory conflict-of-interest checks and preliminary legal assessments prior to issuing formal engagement letters or Vakalatnamas.
• Direct scheduling of legal consultations at our Lahore chambers or via encrypted teleconferencing.
• Drafting commercial contracts, pleadings, legal notices, and court petitions under active client retainers.
• Ensuring compliance with statutory Know-Your-Client (KYC) requirements under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 (AMLA 2010) and regulations issued by the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

4. Sacred Professional Privilege under Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984

Confidentiality is an inviolable duty in the legal profession. Under Article 9 of the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984 (President’s Order No. 10 of 1984), no advocate or legal counsel shall at any time be permitted, unless with his client's express consent, to disclose any communication made to him in the course and for the purpose of his professional employment. SRALAW strictly guarantees zero commercial sale, leasing, or monetization of client data to any commercial advertisers or third-party marketing entities.

5. Data Security & Cryptographic Storage Standards

To prevent unauthorized digital access, alteration, or disclosure prohibited under Sections 3 to 7 of PECA 2016, our web infrastructure employs 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption for all data in transit, firewalled database systems, access logging, and encrypted backups located in secure facilities.

6. Retention of Legal Records & Limitation Periods

Inquiry submissions that do not result in formal legal representation are securely purged within 180 days. Client records and case files under active retainers are securely maintained for the statutory limitation periods prescribed under the Limitation Act, 1908 and Pakistan Bar Council record preservation protocols.

7. Client Rights Regarding Personal Information

Subject to judicial preservation requirements and Bar Council ethical rules, individuals may:

• Request verification of personal contact data recorded in our chamber management systems.
• Request correction of inaccurate or outdated contact information.
• Unsubscribe from periodic legal bulletins and publications at any time.

8. Data Protection Officer & Chambers Contact Information

For data privacy inquiries, statutory notices, or data verification requests, please contact our Data Protection Officer at:

Data Protection Officer — Shahzad Rabbani & Associates
Office # 1107, 11th Floor, High-Q Tower, Jail Road, Gulberg-5, Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: 042-35774914
Email: shahzad.rabbani@gmail.com