Nida Usman Chaudhary

Founder

Nida Usman Chaudhary holds LL.B (Hons) and LL.M in Law & Development from University of London. She is the Founder of Lahore Education And Research Network (LEARN) and Women in Law Initiative Pakistan. She curated and led the project 'increasing women's representation in law' by Ministry of Law and Justice, Group Development Pakistan and Women in Law Initiative Pakistan supported by Australian High Commission and the British High Commission. She was the founding Chairperson of the Gender Equality and Diversity Committee of the Lahore High Court Bar Association from 2018-20. She has been at the forefront of bringing the notion of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in law to Pakistan through her engagement as the Vice Principal and Director of International Programmes at School of Law, Lahore in 2013. She won the prestigious Justitia Award, Vienna for academia international in 2021 and for her women's rights activism as a global top 50 woman, in Sri Lanka in 2023. She was also honoured by the Governor of Punjab on the 75th Independence Day of Pakistan through a certificate of Recognition. Nida was also featured in Femilist 100 from from global south by Gender Security Project in 2021 and received the 'emerging women leader' award in 2018 by SEPLAA SewEGap, Pakistan. She has considerable counselling and academic experience and has been teaching law since 2005. She occasionally contributes articles on legal issues to newspapers and academic blogs and is an internationally published author of several papers on investment law. She was also engaged to give her legal opinion on BITS and conduct capacity building sessions on international investment laws for the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) when she was working at RSIL, Pakistan. She combines her professional interests in law and human rights with her activism on environmental and development issues. During her time in Law School, she served as the head of the Human Rights Society at University College Lahore (UCL) and organized talks on the law of negligence in light of the Margalla Towers collapse in the devastating earthquake of 2005. She also arranged sessions on the abolition of the death penalty during her time as head of the society at UCL. Whilst still a student, she was actively involved with the Lahore Bachao Tehreek (Save Lahore Movement) to stop the widening of the canal bank road and to preserve its flora and fauna. She comes from a background of creative arts through which she learned the importance of using art as a tool to communicate revolutionary ideas.  Her love for creative arts has led her to venture into writing fiction and her debut short story features in the highly anticipated anthology on stories from the pandemic by Liberty Books Pakistan. Nida wishes to uplift the writing industry in Pakistan and believes that our stories much reach global audiences. In order to promote the work of local authors, she became one of the founding members of 'Authors' Alliance Pk' along with Awais Khan, Laaleen Sukhera, Mehr F. Hussain and Sara Naveed.

Anoshay Fazal – Advisory Member

Ms. Anoshay Fazal is associated with Lahore Education and Research Network. She holds an LL.B (Hons) degree and LL.M from University of London. She does freelance research work mainly on the environment, refugees and human rights. Her research experience with professors from LUMS spans over 5 years. Anoshay holds LLB (Hons) & LLM (with Merit) from the University of London with a specialization in Law and Development and has over twelve years of experience in academic and policy research focusing on constitutionalism and legal history, international human rights law, environmental justice, neoliberalism, and other thematic areas within the South Asian region. She has recently provided research support for a book manuscript focusing on ethnic federalism, civil-military relations and neoliberalism and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan. Her recent publication focuses on the notions of citizenship laws, statelessness, and the plight of Afghan refugees, published in ‘Statelessness, governance, and the problem of citizenship’ (Manchester University Press, 2021). She has also co-authored the study on “Fair Representation in Justice Sector” and assisted with implementing trainings to over a 100 female law students and lawyers under this project with the Women in Law Initiative Pakistan (with support from the United States Institute of Peace). She has experience in implementing and coordinating projects focusing on Refugee Law, Business and Human Rights, and more recently the rights of the Child in Pakistan with support from the American Bar Association-Rule of Law Initiative and UNHCR Pakistan. Anoshay also serves as an advisory member with the Lahore Education and Research Network (LEARN). She is currently pursuing her PhD in Law in UK. Her research focuses on citizenship, statelessness and the intersection of these notions with international human rights law. International Publication Fazal, Anoshay. "A regional politics of foreignness and Pakistan’s Afghan refugees." In Statelessness, governance, and the problem of citizenship, pp. 49-60. Manchester University Press, 2021.

Maria Chaudhry – Advisory Member

Maria holds LL.B (Hons) from University of London and LL.M from Queen Mary, UK. She has a teaching experience of over 8 years. She has been involved in international research projects and manages our conferences and events. She is also involved in our women in law series and has been advising us on the women in law network since its inception in 2016. Maria Chaudhry is a legal professional with a diverse background in corporate law. She completed her LL.B (Hons) in 2010 and did her LLM in Commercial & Corporate Law from Queen Mary University of London in 2013. She is an Advocate High Court in Pakistan. Maria has served as Legal Counsel in Pakistan for prominent organizations such as Wateen Telecom, Outfitters Stores, and Zameen Media. She is proficient in management of corporate legal affairs, compliance, and matters of corporate governance. Presently, Maria serves as the Legal and Compliance Manager for Premier UK Business. In addition to her corporate experience, Maria has contributed to legal research and development projects with esteemed organizations such as Coffey International Development Ltd and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Maria extends her legal acumen to academia and education, having served as Visiting Faculty at Pakistan College of Law, Birkbeck College, INTO CITY University of London, and other esteemed institutions. Her teaching experience spans Pakistan and the UK. A dedicated advocate for representation and gender equality in the legal profession, Maria has been a core member of the Women in Law Initiative Pakistan since its inception in 2016. Beyond professional commitments, she actively contributes and engages in volunteer work for social causes and holds memberships in various legal and professional committees.

Alizeh Akbar Meer – Volunteer

Alizeh is a graduate of University of London External Programmes (TMUC.) She has worked tirelessly with Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) specifically for women’s Rights. She has headed youth based internship programs for the underprivileged children, women, as well as the Khawaja Sira community. Alizeh’s time as a legal intern at AGHS has added greatly to her legal experience. She has also volunteered her time for our Violence against Women Conference in association with UN women Pakistan and was a core team member at the Asma Jahangir: Empowerment for Justice Conference 2018. She is a dedicated, self-motivated, young professional and we immensely value her contribution to our various managerial tasks. Alizeh Akbar Meer, a first-generation lawyer, started her professional journey while she was still in law school, seeking a proactive start to her career. In addition to working at the AGHS Legal Aid Cell, and the Office of the Advocate General, Punjab's office as an intern, Alizeh started working closely with Women In Law Initiative Pakistan as a student member. She also joined Qanoondan (the Legal Diaries) in 2017, where she initiated Project QanoonAsaan. Under Project QanoonAsaan legal precedents of the superior courts are simplified and explained, which continues to serve as a readily available resource for law students, young lawyers, and the general public. Alizeh joined Insaaf Camp in 2019 as a research associate where she worked on developing an online legal database #QanoonSabayLiye FAQ Portal consisting of simplified self-held legal information on diverse areas of law including cyber laws, law for the protection of transgender persons, women, and children rights, consumer rights, etc. Alizeh graduated with high merit from the University of London International Program in 2020 and instantly secured an associate position at Bhandari Naqvi Riaz (BNR) a leading law firm in Lahore, where she began her litigation career. Alizeh appeared before the lower courts in some high-profile cases including a 1 billion rupees defamation case against the then prime minister. Alizeh continues to serve as a mentor lawyer for Insaaf Camp for their summer interns to guide them in writing their legal research papers. In 2022, Alizeh was selected for the prestigious Supreme Court Law Clerkship Program out of 850+ applicants who applied that year. Alizeh is presently the law clerk to Justice Ayesha A. Malik, the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court bench, and has assisted her lordship in various landmark judgments including the judgment on workplace harassment.

Mehwish Muhib Kakakhel – Women in Law KpK Chapter Lead

Mehwish Mohib Kakakhel is an accomplished advocate of High Court(s) by profession with over eight years of experience, excels in various legal domains, ranging from constitutional (writ petitions) and cybercrimes to criminal, civil, corporate, harassment, women property rights and family cases etc. She completed her LL.M in cybercrimes and has also acquired MS in Computer Sciences from UET Peshawar. Currently, Mehwish is a Partner at Kakakhel Law Associates, Advocates and Legal Consultants. Mehwish is also working as a visiting lecturer in Supreme law college and has served as a visiting lecturer in law college, University of Peshawar. Mehwish is Women in Law Initiative’s Chapter Lead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where she empowers and mentors female legal professionals and law students. As a Chapter Lead she has represented the chapter and women in law initiative in various roles such as, as a member of the special committee under the Anti-Rape Ordinance, 2021. She has also been a member of the advisory committee constituted under the National Commission on Human Rights act, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter, 2012. With an LL.M and an MS in Computer Sciences, she bridges the gap between legal practice and technology. Her proficiency in artificial intelligence positions her as a forward-thinking leader in the legal profession. She is director litigation Article 30 which provides legal aid to destitute persons especially women of shelter homes. She is also running an organization with the name of Lawyers Initiative for Prisoners support which is working for the legal rights for prisoners and provides them legal aid pro bono. She has garnered recognition, including the Hunar e Hawa Award, best performance award in law/ judiciary by the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and an award from Afghan Tv for best performance in law and human rights.

Tabeen Sarmad – Programme Consultant

Tabeen Sarmad had been working with us as a volunteer before she joined as the programme consultant for our Women in Law Initiative in June 2024. She completed her LL.B (Hons) from UCL, Pakistan in the year 2022. She is an Advocate of the lower courts of Pakistan and has previously worked as an associate at ABS & Co. She was selected as a mentee in the Research Society of International Law-Women In Law's inaugural mentorship program. Tabeen volunteered her time for outreach and coordination for the 100 Years Photo Exhibition we curated in Lahore and later displayed in the Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad as well.

Jalila Haider – Balochistan Chapter Lead for Women in Law

Jalila became the first female lawyer from the hazara community in Balochistan in 2010. She is a chevening scholar, Women in Law Initiative’s Balochistan Chapter Lead and champion of rights of persecuted minorities and vulnerable communities, especialy those affected by terrorism. After four separate attacks targeting the Hazara community in April 2018, Haider led a peaceful hunger strike camp outside Quetta press club, which lasted for around five days. demanded that Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Qamar Javed Bajwa must visit the community and take concrete steps to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure their security. The strike ended after Qamar Javed Bajwa held meetings with the tribal elders and representatives of the community, including Hazara women, in which he ensured security and protection of the community's right to life. Following the hunger strike, on 2 May 2018, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mian Saqib Nisar, took suo moto notice of the killings of Hazaras. She was named in BBC's 100 Women of 2019, and was chosen as an International Woman of Courage by the United States Department of State in March 2020. In 2022, she won the first-ever ‘Pakistan Peace Award’ for her work and contribution to bring tolerance and sustainable peace in the country and in 2023 she became the 2nd Pakistani to win the Justitia Award in Vienna after Nida Usman Chaudhary who won it in 2021.

Zeneb Abid – Islamabad Chapter Lead – Women in Law

Zeneb Abid has served as the UK Alumni and Ambassador of University of London and British Council for South Asia Region. She is an advocate by profession and member of Islamabad High Court Bar Association Committee for International Law. Her work has been instrumental in the government sector and academia. She has taught at various affiliate institutes of University of London. Moreover she has worked as legal counsel at various renowned government organizations like Ignite (National Technology Fund) and Pakistan LNG Limited. Zeneb is a Managing Partner at Leeds Law Group Limited. She is also our Chapter Lead for Women in Law Initiative Islamabad.

Fatima Sajid – Women in Law Chapter Lead for Multan

Fatima studied LLB from Bahauddin Zakariya University and graduated in 2022. She works on different research projects in Human Rights. She has worked on Death Penalty with Reprieve and on Women Marriage Rights with Musawi and National Commission for Human Rights. She has been an avid mooter and was also selected to participate in policymaking summer exchange in the USA. She was selected as a mentee in the Research Society of International Law-Women In Law's inaugural mentorship program and has volunteered to do research for the 100 years photo exhibition we curated. She is also our Chapter Lead for Multan.

Bakhtawer Ashraf Khan – AJK Chapter Lead for Women in Law

Bakhtawer Ashraf Khan, is a lawyer based in Muzaffarabad who started her journey of progress, creativity, and development during her law school years. She completed her LL.B from University of Azad jammu and Kashmir in 2022. She founded the Mooting Society, fostering a culture of legal excellence and advocacy, leaving an indelible mark on her career. Dedicated to social welfare, Bakhtawer actively engages in volunteer activities in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, exemplifying her commitment to community service. She is also Women in Law Initiative’s Chapter Lead for Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Her pivotal role in establishing our chapter in AJK underscores her dedication to fostering solidarity and empowerment in the region. She supported Women in Law in its flagship month-long summer mentorship programme on Gender and Justice Sector in 2023 amongst other activities. As the managing partner at Khan & Shah Attorneys, she is devoted to amplifying women's voices and ensuring equitable legal representation in the region. Her contributions extend to being a key contributor in a provincial consultation on child marriage organized by the National Commission on the Status of Women. Beyond her legal practice, she serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. She actively pursues her academic interests, delving into the realms of Human Rights, Criminal Justice, and Environmental law.