He is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the High Court, practicing law since 1981. Over the course of his career, he has handled numerous cases involving rape, abuse, divorce, and honor killings. His dedication and integrity have earned him repeated recognition within the legal fraternity. He was elected as a member of the Sindh Bar Council in 1994 and re-elected for two subsequent terms in 1999 and 2004. In 2011, he was elected as a member of the Pakistan Bar Council for a five-year term.
Beyond his professional practice, Mr. Awan has held several honorary and international positions. He served as a Board Member of Child Helpline International in Amsterdam and CARAM Asia in Malaysia, a network focusing on safe mobility and HIV/AIDS. He is a Fellow of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, based in Washington, D.C., and a Board Member of the Pakistan Environmental Law Association. He is also a member of the Child Rights Commission (Sindh) and currently serves as the President of Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA).
In 1989, recognizing the need for accessible justice for marginalized groups, particularly women and children, Mr. Awan led a group of 50 lawyers to establish the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA). The organization was founded to provide affordable and effective legal aid and to promote justice for the underprivileged. A passionate advocate since his student years, he has been a lifelong campaigner for freedom and human rights. His outstanding contributions earned him the international honor of “Young Outstanding Person of the World” in 1994, awarded in Kobe, Japan.
Under his leadership, LHRLA has helped secure the release of more than 30,000 innocent individuals, mostly women and children, from prisons across Pakistan. The organization has also provided free legal aid and counseling to over 100,000 people, including prisoners, trafficking victims, women prosecuted under Hudood laws, and children charged with juvenile offenses. Mr. Awan has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of human rights issues and to foster policy reforms at both national and regional levels.
He has been instrumental in promoting jail reforms, conducting paralegal training sessions, and organizing numerous workshops and awareness campaigns on issues such as juvenile justice, child rights, and women’s empowerment. Through his initiatives, Pakistan witnessed the establishment of its first Juvenile Court, a major step forward in protecting children’s rights. Mr. Awan continues to collaborate with the Government of Pakistan on implementing the Juvenile Justice Ordinance, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Among his many projects, the Madadgaar Helpline stands out as a landmark achievement. It is Pakistan’s first child helpline and protection service for children and women in crisis, established in collaboration with UNICEF and LHRLA. The initiative offers immediate guidance, support, and referrals to victims of abuse and exploitation. Through LHRLA, Mr. Awan has also provided legal and counseling services to women in prisons and initiated public education campaigns through booklets and posters that inform citizens and prisoners about their rights under the law.
In 2002, he established the Migrant Community Center “Ujjal” in Korangi, Karachi, which provides free non-formal education and healthcare to women and children from migrant families. The Working Women Support Center (WWSC), launched in 1997, offers legal and psychological assistance to working women and combats harassment in workplaces and public spaces.
In collaboration with UNHCR, Mr. Awan developed the Advice and Legal Aid Center (ALAC) to provide legal protection and support to Afghan refugees in Pakistan. His organization also offers free legal aid to survivors of trafficking, including cases involving cross-border trafficking, false adoption, child camel jockeying, and exploitation of women and children for prostitution or labor.
To strengthen advocacy and policy work, LHRLA has also developed a comprehensive national database on human trafficking. This database monitors reports from 26 newspapers daily, documenting case studies of victims and perpetrators and sharing findings with the media and policymakers to raise awareness of the issue’s magnitude.
Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Zia Ahmed Awan has worked both at the grassroots and policy levels, combining legal expertise with social activism. His life’s mission has been to ensure justice, dignity, and equality for all, particularly the most vulnerable members of society. His dedication to legal empowerment, human rights, and social reform continues to inspire activists, lawyers, and citizens across Pakistan and beyond.
