Help from PHWO for Families in Lahore

If you are searching for an NGO in Lahore that will listen before it judges, you can get in touch with PHWO, the Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization, today from your own home. PHWO is a voluntary, non-political and non-sectarian welfare organisation. Its head office is in Larkana, Sindh, and it has no office, centre or staff in Lahore. Lahoris reach it online or by email, and every service is free.

Lahore is a city of more than thirteen million people, and hardship here often hides behind a rented door in Shahdara, Kot Lakhpat or Bhati Gate. A student cannot join an online class because the family phone broke. A widow’s kitchen runs out before the month does. A young man borrowed from a committee and now cannot repay it. This page explains what PHWO can and cannot do for people in these situations, and it also lists public services in Lahore that anyone can use.

What people in Lahore most often ask for

Requests from big cities tend to look different from village requests. In Lahore, three needs come up again and again:

• A laptop or phone for study or work. Many young Lahoris study through virtual university programmes, freelance on platforms, or work in call centres. Without a working device, that path closes.
• Ration. Daily-wage earners in markets like Shah Alam, Azam Cloth Market and Hall Road lose income quickly when work slows.
• Debt. Loans taken for a wedding, a hospital bill or a failed small shop can trap a family for years.

You can describe any of these through the Request help form. PHWO asks for a live photo of you and a short explanation of the situation. Each request is checked and assessed. Help follows only for a need that checks out and that PHWO can meet; nothing is promised beforehand.

Free legal aid in Lahore for family disputes

Lahore’s family courts deal with a heavy load of khula, maintenance and child custody cases, and the Lahore High Court sits on Mall Road. Many women who search for an NGO in Lahore for females are really looking for a lawyer they can afford. PHWO’s free legal aid service connects people with volunteer advocates.

• You do not need an FIR before you ask.
• Custody matters and cases with an urgent hearing date are read first.
• A volunteer advocate may advise you, review papers, or take the case, depending on who is available. No lawyer is guaranteed.

If you are in danger at home, call Punjab Police on 15 first, and the Punjab women’s helpline 1043, before filling any form.

Lahore at a glance: people, languages and pressures

According to the 2023 Census, Lahore District had 13,004,135 people and the census counted the whole district as urban. Punjabi is the main mother tongue, with Urdu widely spoken at home too, especially in older migrant families and newer housing schemes.

Air is the city’s most visible problem. In November 2024 the Punjab government declared a health emergency over smog and ordered closures in Lahore and Multan; the provincial government said nearly two million people across Punjab had fallen sick with respiratory illness (Arab News report). For low-income households, smog season means lost days of work and extra medicine costs at exactly the same time.

Public services in Lahore you can use directly

These are government services, not PHWO services. They are listed so you know where to go first:

• Emergency ambulance, fire and rescue: Rescue 1122.
• Police: 15. Women’s helpline: 1043.
• Large public hospitals: Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Lahore General Hospital.
• BISP cash support: check eligibility through the official BISP channels.
• Punjab Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Department, and the Punjab Zakat and Ushr Department.
• District Courts and the Lahore Bar Association.

See the directory further down this page for links we have checked.

Volunteer in Lahore without leaving your job

Lahore sends more volunteers to PHWO than most cities, and the need is clear. Advocates practising in Lahore are needed most, because family cases from across Punjab often end up in its courts. Fundraisers are the second priority: people who can organise a small drive at their university, office or in their neighbourhood.

Lahori volunteers are thanked in writing: a certificate, then a letter praising their service and another recording what they did. You can sign up on the volunteer page and choose remote tasks such as case screening or social media, or legal work if you are enrolled with the bar.

Giving from Lahore and from Lahoris abroad

Many Lahori families have sons and daughters in the Gulf, the UK, Canada and the USA who send Zakat home each Ramadan. PHWO accepts money or goods from Pakistan and from abroad through its donation page. Zakat and Sadaqah go 100% to people in need. If you want to pay for one specific verified case, such as a student’s laptop, use Sponsor a case. The zakat calculator helps you work out what is due on gold, cash and business stock.

Nobody may ask you for money in PHWO’s name. All services are free.

Rishta Desk for Lahore families

Marriage searches in Lahore often run through relatives and paid rishta aunties. The Rishta Desk is a free alternative for families of every faith. Profiles are checked with a live selfie and reviewed by PHWO staff. Families make every decision themselves, and no match is guaranteed.

Public services in Lahore you can also use

• Rescue 1122 (Punjab Emergency Service)Ambulance, fire and rescue; dial 1122
• Lahore High CourtCase status and cause lists
• Benazir Income Support ProgrammeCash transfers for eligible low-income families
• Punjab Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal DepartmentProvincial welfare schemes
• Punjab Zakat and Ushr DepartmentOfficial zakat distribution
• Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Jinnah HospitalPublic teaching hospitals
• Punjab Women HelplineDial 1043 for women facing violence or harassment
• District Administration LahoreDeputy Commissioner's office

These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.

Frequently asked questions