This document summarizes the key laws governing the registration of NGOs in Pakistan: 1. The Trusts Act 1882 allows registration of private and charitable trusts for religious, educational, or social welfare purposes. 2. The Companies Ordinance 1984 permits registration of non-profit companies focused on commerce, art, science, religion, sports, or social services. 3. The Societies Registration Act 1860 regulates the formation of literary, scientific, and charitable societies. 4. The Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Ordinance 1961 covers organizations working in fields like child welfare, healthcare, and rehabilitation. 5. The Cooperative Societies Act 1925 provides for registration of cooperatives that

1. Legal Framework For
Registration of NGO’s

2. Registration Laws in Pakistan
I-The Societies Registration Act, 1860
II-The Trusts Act, 1882
III-The Voluntary Social Welfare
Agencies (Registration and Control
Ordinance), 1961
IV-The Companies Ordinance, 1984
V-The Cooperative Societies Act, 1925

3. I. Trust Act 1882
Who can get
registration
1-Private Trusts
2-Charitable
Trusts (Doctrine
of Cypress)
The Trusts Act
also provides
legal cover for
private acts of
public charity
Scope
A public charitable trust, under the Trusts Act, 1882, unlike
other trusts created for the benefit of specific individuals,
is for the benefit of society generally or for certain sections
of society.
Charitable objectives can be classified under the following
divisions:
i. Advancement of religion
ii. Advancement of knowledge
iii. Advancement of commerce, health and safety of the
public
iv. Advancement of any other object beneficial to mankind.

4. Trust act 1882
 Can establish by The Deed Of
Settlement
 This Act applies to Private Trusts only
 The beneficiaries could be specific
individuals
 It is applicable only to Muslims
 Charitable objectives can be classified
under the following divisions:
i. Advancement of religion
ii. Advancement of knowledge
iii. Advancement of commerce, health
and safety of the public
iv. Advancement of any other object
beneficial to mankind
 Doctrine of Cypress applies only to
charitable trusts (The purpose or
institution cease to exist after the
testator’s death)
Act does not apply to
 Waqfs
 Public or private religious or
charitable endowments
 The mutual relations of the
members of an undivided family as
determined by any customary or
personal law
 Trust cannot have immoveable
property
Trust cannot opposed to
 Public policy
 Laws
 Injury to person or property
Dos Don'ts

5. Companies Ordinance 1984
Who can get
registration
1-Non-
governmental
organizations
2-Non profit
making
organization
3-Company not for
profit
4-Association not
for profit
5-Industries
department
Scope
Main objects of the association are for promoting
i. Commerce
ii. Art
iii. Science
iv. Religion
V. Sports
vi. Social services
vii. Charity (education, religion, community bifacial activates,
eradiation poverty)
viii. Any other ‘useful’ objective
 Apply its profit in promoting its object
 Enjoy all the privileges of a limited company
 Purpose of serving public or for mutual benefit
 Activities out side Pakistan

6. Companies ordinance
 Apply its profit for the
promoting its object/s
 Enjoy all the privileges of
a limited company
 Purpose of serving public
or for mutual benefits of
masses
 Can work/ initiate
activities outside Pakistan
 Cannot pursuit for all kinds
of benefits
 Limited company could not
have share capital
Dos Don'ts

7. Societies Registration Act, 1860
Who can get
registration
1-Non profit
organization
2-NGOs
3-Charitable
society
4-Literary society
5-Scientific society
6-Corporations
Scope
 Science
 Literature
 Fine arts
 Instruction and the diffusion of useful knowledge
 Diffusion of political education
 Foundation or maintenance of libraries or reading rooms for use
among members or open to the public
 Public museums and galleries of paintings
 Work of art
 Collection of natural history
 Mechanical and philosophical inventions
 Instruments or designs
 Educational and medical services.

8. Societies Registration Act, 1860
 It can promote science;
literature; fine arts;
educational and
medical services
 It can do instruction and
the diffusion of useful
knowledge
 It can deal with
diffusion of political
education
 Cannot deal with every
object of general public
utility
 Religious society
 Doesn't extend to
teaching for a business
or profession, as civil
engineering etc.
Do Don'ts

9. Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies(registration & Control)
Ordinance 1961
Who can get
registration
1-Agency
2-Organization
3-Association
Scope
 Child welfare
 Youth welfare
 Women’s welfare
 Welfare of the physically ,socially and mentally handicapped.
 Family planning.
 Recreational programmes intended to keep people away from
anti-social activities.
 Social education, that is, education of adults aimed at
developing sense of civic responsibility.
 Welfare and rehabilitation of released prisoners.
 Welfare of juvenile delinquents.
 Welfare of the socially handicapped.
 Welfare of the beggars and destitute.
 Welfare and rehabilitation of patients.
 Welfare of the aged and infirm.

10. Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Ordinance 1961
 Under the law an
organization, association
or welfare services can
work all field mentioned in
the section of scope
 Training in social work.
 Coordination of social
welfare agencies
 The said ordinance
prohibits the
establishment for
continuation of voluntary
social welfare agency
without registration
Dos Don'ts

11. The Co-operative Societies Act,1925
Scope
 Promotion of thrift, self help and
mutual assistance amongst
agriculturist or other persons with
common economic or social interests
and for achieving better standards of
living
Who can get
registration
1.Voluntaries
2. Cooperative
society
3. Cooperative
bodies/ companies

12. The Co-operative Societies Act, 1925
 Can form organization where
persons join together voluntarily
on a basis of equality of a
common economic need
 Promotion of the economic
interests of its members in
accordance with co-operative
principles
 The object of facilitating the
operations of such a society, may
be registered under this Act with
or without limited liability
 If it is not a
cooperative
 If it is not a body
corporate or a
company
Dos Don’ts