Guide
Hiring, paying and letting go
of staff in Pakistan
People who work in Pakistan for a company that sits somewhere else are protected by Pakistani labour law, not by the law where the company is. This page is about what that law expects of an employer, so that a dismissal does not become a case.
Where this applies This page covers employment in Pakistan. Labour law is largely provincial, and an advocate confirms the rules for the province where the staff work.
What this is about
The written contract is where it starts: what the job is, what it pays, how it ends. Then the registrations an employer has to make for social security and old-age benefits, which depend on the province and the size of the workforce. Then the rules on notice and on the grounds for ending an employment, which are stricter than many foreign employers expect.
A dismissal done without notice or grounds ends up in a labour court, and the employer abroad learns of it from a summons.
What has to be in place
What has to be clear.
Where the staff work, because the province decides the rules.
What kind of workers they are, because the rules differ.
Who in Pakistan is responsible for the employer’s registrations.
Note Your advocate confirms which of these apply to your case.
The documents you will be asked for
What an advocate asks for.
- The contracts of employment, or the terms as agreed.
- The company’s registration.
- Any registrations already made for benefits.
How an advocate helps from where you are
What an advocate does.
- Drafts contracts that fit the law of the province.
- Makes the registrations an employer has to make.
- Handles a dismissal so that it holds, and defends the company if it is challenged.
What to ask before you agree
- Which province’s rules apply to our staff?
- Which registrations does an employer have to make, and who makes them?
- How is a dismissal done so that it holds?
- What do you need from me, and by when?
- What is your fee, and what is not included in it?
More in Staff
Also relevant
Words you will meet
- contract of employment
- The written terms of a job.
- EOBI
- The registrations an employer makes for benefits.
- labour law
- The rules on employment, largely provincial.
Written
11 September 2026
Pakistan.