Service of Judicial Documents
in Pakistan

There is currently no practical method of service available that will provide an ability to enforce a judgment in Pakistan.

Pakistan is a signatory to both the Hague Service Convention and Inter-American Convention. However, every request for international judicial assistance forwarded to Pakistan from our office for service in accordance with treaties over the past 3 years has not produced a single response. This has been corroborated by the foreign litigation department at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, which has also forwarded requests for service without a single response.

It appears that Pakistan has chosen not to honor its declarations to either The Hague Service Convention or the Inter-American Convention. Unfortunately, there are no provisions for enforcement of a signatory country's obligations. Neither the U.S. Department of State nor the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC, can assist or alter this situation. Both have recommended that private agent service be utilized.

Agent service can be easily obtained through an attorney. The only drawback could be the validity of agent service with respect to the statutes of the originating court. This is because private agent service of American legal documents is not considered valid, authorized, or recognized in Pakistan. The fees for private agent service vary and are dependent upon the location of the service address. The average turnaround time is 14 to 21 days. Rush services are available for an additional fee. A quote of the cost for a particular address can be easily obtained at no cost.

Treaty service can be attempted to satisfy the originating court. It is, however, a futile attempt. Our office has forwarded numerous requests for service to Pakistan in accordance with the treaty and, as experienced by our own Department of Justice in Washington, DC, no response is ever received. In addition, we have attorneys who have contacted the authorities on our behalf and there has still been no response. To attempt service in accordance with either treaty, there is no translation required.

If your state statutes provide for service by registered mail, return receipt requested, this is an alternative you should consider. While we do not provide this service, we can provide an affidavit listing the reasons why the court should consider this alternative.

Call Prestige Legal Services toll free at 1-800-784-7572 for your free, no-obligation quote.

* ALL FEES DUE IN ADVANCE