NAZ Assist: LAS launches Pakistan's first multilingual legal chatbot

The Legal Aid Society (LAS) has launched NAZ Assist, Pakistan's first multilingual legal advisory chatbot, designed to provide free legal advice in English, Urdu, Sindhi, and Pashto.

Accessible via LAS’s website, the chatbot aims to make legal guidance available to all Pakistanis, especially those underserved by traditional systems.

"This chatbot is a crucial step in making legal aid more accessible to everyone in Pakistan, regardless of language or ability," said Barrister Haya Eman Zahid, CEO of LAS.

"We are trying to bridge a significant justice gap, with Pakistan ranking 130th out of 142 countries in the 2023 WJP Rule of Law Index."

NAZ Assist is named in honor of Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, a former Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court and judge of the Supreme Court. The chatbot leverages insights from more than 450,000 calls made to the Sindh Legal Advisory Call Center (SLACC) since 2014.

"NAZ Assist is a tribute to my father’s lifelong work for justice," said Zahid. "Our mission is to provide quality legal support to the people who need it most, and this technology makes it possible."

A key feature of NAZ Assist is its verification process, allowing users to confirm the advice provided by the chatbot. Users can connect with a lawyer through SLACC’s free helpline at 0800-70806 or request a callback from a lawyer by submitting their contact information.

"We understand that AI isn’t perfect, which is why we offer this verification process," Zahid explained. "It’s about ensuring that users can trust the advice they receive while still having access to human expertise."

The chatbot also expands accessibility to differently-abled individuals. "NAZ Assist is inclusive," Zahid emphasized. "People who are deaf or mute can now get preliminary legal advice with just a click. This is in line with the shift we’ve seen, where younger generations prefer texting over speaking on the phone."

Beyond offering general legal advice, the virtual assistant provides specific support to vulnerable groups, including women facing gender-based violence, those denied inheritance, and minority girls dealing with forced conversion.

"We’re not charging anything for this service," Zahid said. "This is not behind a paywall. Our goal is to genuinely help people access justice."

The chatbot is the culmination of years of effort by LAS. Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid began his mission to provide free legal support after his retirement by setting up an advice desk outside court. In 2014, LAS launched the Legal Advisory Call Center (LACC) with funding from the British High Commission. In 2018, LACC became SLACC through a public-private partnership with the Sindh government.

"NAZ Assist brings our work into the digital age, combining AI’s 24/7 availability with human expertise," Zahid said. "It’s about making justice more accessible to all citizens of Pakistan."

Further expansion

Program Delivery Specialist at LAS, Usama Bin Maalik, told Nukta that they have been receiving 125 to 150 users daily on their platform since the launch.

“We are using this data to further strengthen our system as we plan future expansion,” he said, adding that more regional languages will be integrated soon. "This chatbot is part of the Sindh Legal Advisory Call Center initiative, created for those who may prefer not to call. Our vision is for people across Pakistan to access this platform."

He noted that Urdu and Sindhi have already been tested, and work is underway to integrate Punjabi and Pashto into the system.

Discussing future plans, Usama said, "We are engaging with partners in the private sector, including some of Pakistan’s most renowned technology and communication companies. These partnerships are being finalized."

Looking ahead, Usama explained that they plan to introduce additional tools to the platform. "We want to add features like calculators, so users can instantly understand the financial implications of legal matters. This would be especially useful in cases involving inheritance," he said.

"Our long-term goal is to make legal advice easily accessible to every household in Pakistan, and this chatbot is another step in that direction," Usama concluded.

You can visit the chatbot here.