The Punjab Women Helpline 1043 is a free, round-the-clock government helpline where a woman can get advice, counselling, and help reporting a crime, without paying anything and without having to walk into a police station first. This guide explains what it does and what other help exists alongside it.

If you are in immediate danger, call 15 for police or 1122 for rescue and ambulance now. Use 1043 for advice, counselling, and support.

What the Punjab Women Helpline 1043 is

1043 is run by the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW). It is:

  • Toll free, so no balance is deducted
  • Available 24 hours a day
  • Answered by women call agents, which matters if you are not comfortable explaining your situation to a man
  • Supported by legal advisors and a psychosocial counsellor

What the helpline can actually do

People often avoid calling because they assume it will immediately start a police case. It will not. You control what happens next.

The helpline can:

  • Answer questions about your legal rights
  • Give legal advice on marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance, harassment, and workplace rights
  • Provide psychosocial counselling if you are distressed
  • Explain your options and what each one leads to
  • Help you register a complaint if you choose to
  • Refer you to shelters, protection centres, or other departments
  • Take complaints about workplace harassment

You can call simply to understand your position. That is a legitimate use of the service.

1043 is free, available 24 hours, and answered by women call agents.

The Virtual Women Police Station

Punjab also runs a Virtual Women Police Station, which addresses a real barrier: many women will not report a crime if it means walking into a police station and explaining what happened in front of men.

Through it, a woman can report using:

  • The Women Safety App, including live chat and video call
  • The Punjab Police App
  • The Safe City web portal
  • The police emergency number 15

It also supports case tracking, follow-up after an FIR is registered, and reporting in circumstances where a woman needs privacy.

The facility handles a large volume of calls, and reported figures indicate hundreds of thousands of cases handled and tens of thousands of FIRs registered since it began, which suggests women do use it when the barrier of walking into a station is removed.

All the numbers worth saving

NumberService
1043Punjab Women Helpline, free, 24 hours
15Police emergency
1122Rescue, ambulance, and emergency medical help
16Fire brigade
1202Maryam Ki Dastak, government services at home
1221PSPA social protection helpline

Save 1043, 15, and 1122 in your phone now, before you need them.

Reporting in person

If you would rather deal with someone face to face, a Police Khidmat Markaz offers a women violence report service at a service counter rather than in a station room. These centres also handle FIR copies, which matters if you need a copy of a case that has already been registered.

Before you call, if you can

You do not need any of this to call. But if you are able to prepare, it helps the agent help you faster:

  • What happened, and when
  • Who was involved
  • Whether you are currently safe
  • Whether anyone is injured
  • Whether you have any evidence, such as messages, photographs, or medical records
  • Whether you have already reported it anywhere

If you are not safe, skip all of this and call 15.

Practical safety notes

  • If you fear someone checks your phone, delete the call from your log after calling.
  • Keep evidence such as threatening messages, and back it up somewhere safe.
  • Tell one person you trust where you are.
  • Keep copies of your CNIC and key documents somewhere accessible.
  • The Women Safety App is designed to let you reach help discreetly.

What happens when you call

Knowing the shape of the call removes a lot of the fear.

  1. A woman answers. You are not routed to a man.
  2. She asks what has happened. Say as much or as little as you want.
  3. She checks whether you are safe right now. If you are not, the call becomes an emergency response.
  4. She explains your options. This may be legal, it may be counselling, it may be a referral to a shelter or protection centre.
  5. You decide what happens next. Nothing is filed without you choosing it.
  6. She can connect you onward to police, a protection centre, or the right complaint forum.

You will not be lectured, and you will not be told to go home and adjust. If an agent does not handle your call properly, you can call again and ask for a supervisor.

Common reasons women hesitate, and the reality

  • “They will tell my family.” The helpline treats your information confidentially and does not call your household to report your call.
  • “I will be forced to file a case.” You will not. Advice and counselling are complete services in themselves.
  • “It costs money.” It is toll free. No balance is deducted.
  • “Nothing will happen anyway.” The virtual women police station exists precisely because so many complaints were never being reported at all, and it handles a large daily call volume.
  • “My problem is too small.” Questions about inheritance, a delayed nikahnama, a workplace issue, or custody are all legitimate reasons to call.

For workplace harassment

Punjab has specific protection against workplace harassment, and there is an Ombudsperson for these complaints. Call 1043 and ask to be directed to the right forum. You do not have to resign or stay silent to keep your job.

If your household needs financial support, our free eligibility checker shows which Punjab and federal programmes you may qualify for. It stores nothing and asks for no personal details.

GoPunjab is an independent information website. We are not the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women, Punjab Police, or any government body. We cannot take a report, register an FIR, or intervene in a case. If you need help, call 1043, or 15 in an emergency.