1. Introduction

The Pakistan Bar Council is the apex statutory regulatory body for legal practitioners in Pakistan, established under the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973. This Privacy Policy governs the information handling practices across the official web portal (https://pakistanbarcouncil.org) and the official Pakistan Bar Council Mobile Application (“Application”).

2. Information Handled by the Mobile Application

The Application serves as an official informational utility providing directory lookups, institutional records, and administrative notices:

• No Mandatory Sign-In: Access to the advocate directory, recognized legal education institution registers, leadership profiles, and public circulars requires no user account or login credentials.
• Device Identifiers (Push Notifications): The Application integrates Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) to deliver official circulars, regulatory announcements, and alerts. An FCM registration token is transmitted securely to route notifications to the device. This identifier is not linked to any personal identity.
• Document and Photo Uploads: When utilizing official submission or verification features, users may optionally upload legal documents, certificates, or profile photographs via standard system pickers.
• Directory Searches: Verification queries (such as advocate enrollment lookups or recognized institutions) are transmitted securely over HTTPS to query official Council records and are not sold, monetized, or tracked across external applications.
• No Sensitive Background Permissions: The Application does not access device location, microphone, address book contacts, or biometric sensors.

3. Device Permissions Declared

The Application requests only system permissions strictly necessary for operational functionality:

• INTERNET: Required for secure communication with backend endpoints and regulatory data synchronization.
• POST_NOTIFICATIONS: Required on Android 13+ to present official notifications and circular alerts.
• READ/WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: Applied with strict SDK boundaries on legacy Android versions to permit user-initiated document selection and temporary file caching.

4. Statutory Regulatory Records (Website & Council Registry)

Pursuant to the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973, official regulatory submissions handled by the Pakistan Bar Council (via web portals or the physical registry) maintain official records of advocate enrollment, bar association standing, disciplinary proceedings, and institutional accreditation.

5. Third-Party Services & Infrastructure

The Application contains no commercial advertising networks, external trackers, or analytics software. Third-party infrastructure is strictly limited to:

• Google Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM): Utilized solely for dispatching push notifications to registered device instances.

6. Data Security & Encryption

All network transmissions between the Application, backend services, and cloud infrastructure are protected using Transport Layer Security (HTTPS / TLS) encryption. The Pakistan Bar Council does not sell, rent, or trade user data to commercial parties.

7. Children’s Privacy

The Application and web services provide professional resources for legal practitioners and adults. Services are not directed toward children under 13 years of age, and personal details from children are not knowingly collected.

8. Official Contact Details