Legal help in Pakistan for Pakistanis living in Qatar.
Property, inheritance, family and child adoption matters in Pakistan, run from Lahore while you stay in Doha, Al Wakrah or Al Khor.
Short answer. Pakistanis living in Qatar can instruct a Lahore firm on property, inheritance, family and child adoption matters in Pakistan without travelling. The power of attorney is signed through NADRA’s online system or at the Embassy of Pakistan, Doha — Qatar is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so a local apostille is not available.
Reviewed by Khalil Ahmad Bhullah, Founding Partner · Last reviewed 22 September 2026 · Pakistani law only
What Pakistanis in Qatar bring us.
Qatar is not in the Apostille Convention
A Qatari notary plus apostille is not available. Sign at the Embassy in Doha, use NADRA’s online power of attorney, or take a Qatari-issued document through Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the Pakistani Embassy.
Two hours behind Lahore
Doha is two hours behind Lahore. A 10:00 AM hearing in Lahore is 8:00 AM your time, so updates arrive before your working day is under way.
Property occupied or sold behind your back
Relatives, qabza groups, tenants in default, forged transfers. Special courts for overseas Pakistanis, the Illegal Dispossession Act and civil suits.
Power of attorney from Qatar
Drafted narrowly for one property or one case, signed by the route that works from Qatar. Revocation if one is being misused.
Inheritance and succession
NADRA succession certificates with biometric verification from Qatar through the Pak ID app, inheritance mutation, and court cases when a share is withheld.
Divorce, khula and custody
Talaq notice, khula, maintenance and custody in Pakistan, with a straight note on how Qatar treats Pakistani family orders.
Documents from Qatar.
The single most expensive mistake overseas clients make is paying for the wrong signing route.
Qatar is not an apostille country
Because Qatar is not a party to the Apostille Convention, sign the power of attorney at the Embassy of Pakistan, Doha, or use NADRA’s online system and choose that mission. Nothing issued locally can be apostilled for Pakistan.
NADRA’s online power of attorney
CNIC, NICOP and POC holders can apply at poa.nadra.gov.pk: upload the document, give biometrics for yourself and two witnesses, pay online, and take an online interview with the Pakistani mission you select. Foreign nationals with no Pakistani identity document must attend the mission.
Documents issued in Qatar for use in Pakistan
A document issued by an authority in Qatar — a death certificate, a court document — is attested locally, then by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then by the Pakistani mission, before a Pakistani office will accept it.
Child guardianship and adoption.
Pakistan has guardianship, not adoption
Pakistani Family Courts appoint guardians under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890; they do not make adoption orders. We file and argue the guardianship petition in Pakistan. Read the full guide.
Ask Qatar first
Whether a child under a Pakistani guardianship order can get residence with you is decided by the Qatari immigration authorities. Get their requirements before a petition is filed in Pakistan, so the order is built to meet them.
Working with Lahore from Qatar.
- Our office day, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in Lahore, is 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM in Doha. A 10:00 AM hearing in Lahore is 8:00 AM your time.
- WhatsApp is read Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Pakistan time. A message sent after hours is answered the next business morning in Lahore.
Questions from Pakistanis in Qatar.
Because Qatar is not a party to the Apostille Convention, sign the power of attorney at the Embassy of Pakistan, Doha, or use NADRA’s online system and choose that mission. Nothing issued locally can be apostilled for Pakistan.
Our office day, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in Lahore, is 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM in Doha. A 10:00 AM hearing in Lahore is 8:00 AM your time. We book calls in the overlap.
Usually, yes. With a power of attorney signed from Qatar, we file in Punjab’s special court for overseas Pakistanis’ property, under the Illegal Dispossession Act, 2005, or by civil suit, depending on the facts, and appear at the hearings. A court can require your attendance or evidence by video link at a particular stage.
Residence for the child is decided by the Qatari immigration authorities, not by the Pakistani court. Ask them what they require before anything is filed in Pakistan. We make the Pakistani order and its supporting record complete and properly attested so it can be presented to them.