ISLAMABAD: Expressing concern over the mushroom growth of law colleges and the continuous decline in the standard and quality of legal education in the country, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has amended its legal education rules to prohibit the further affiliation of any law colleges for the next three years.

Through a letter issued to all the registrars, university/degree-awarding institutions competent to affiliate law colleges across the country, as well as chairmen of affiliation committees, the PBC informed that it has substituted Rule 20 of the Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules, 2015.

The substituted Rule 20 deals with the ban on fresh affiliation of law colleges and states: “The affiliation of law colleges is prohibited for three years, with effect from January 15, 2026. Accordingly, no Pakistani university/degree awarding institution recognised by the Pakistan Bar Council shall affiliate any law college during this period. Any university or institution found in violation of this restriction shall be liable to be derecognised.”

Earlier, Rule 20 stated: “No university or degree-awarding institution recognised by the Council shall affiliate any law college after enforcement of the Rules, and in case of violation, the concerned university/institution shall be liable to be derecognised after affording an opportunity of hearing.”

The letter, which was issued on January 20, clarified that applications received by the PBC before January 15, 2026 would be processed, but no fresh applications would be entertained thereafter.

“The decision will have no effect on public universities or the chartered universities established through legislation by the national or provincial assemblies,” said newly elected PBC vice chairman Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti while talking to Dawn.

He regretted that the Punjab University alone had awarded affiliation to over 90 law colleges, despite many of these institutions lacking proper faculty, suitable buildings, and adequate law libraries.

According to PBC rules, any institution imparting a law degree must have a library containing at least 5,000 standard law books.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026