Rescue 1122 is Pakistan's public emergency service for residents and tourists alike, and the number to call for an ambulance, a road crash, a fire, a collapsed building or a rescue is simply 1122, from any phone. It runs in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad, and Balochistan has a similar service on the main highways. Coverage is strongest in the cities and along the main roads, and much thinner in the high valleys where travellers most often need it.
This guide explains what the service does, how coverage differs by province, how to call, and what to do where the ambulance will take a long time or cannot reach you.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Number | 1122 from any phone in Pakistan |
| Services | Ambulance, fire, rescue, road crashes, flood and water rescue, building collapse |
| Started | Lahore pilot in 2004; Punjab service established 2006 |
| Covers | Punjab, KP, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Islamabad, main highways in Balochistan |
| Not a substitute for | A good hospital, insurance, or a helicopter evacuation in remote terrain |
What is Rescue 1122?
It began as a pilot in Lahore in 2004 and became the Punjab Emergency Service in 2006. The model was then copied: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan formed their own services in 2012, an Azad Kashmir pilot started in 2007, and Sindh launched its own emergency rescue service more recently, with the provincial assembly approving its act in 2023.
Each province runs its own department, so the vehicles, uniforms and websites differ, but the dialling number is the same. In Islamabad the equivalent service is run under the capital's administration and also answers on 1122. Punjab's department describes its services as road crashes, medical emergencies, building collapse, fire, hazardous material, explosions, flood and water rescue and animal rescue.
Where does it work for a traveller?
Coverage is not equal across the country. As a rough guide:
- Punjab. The most developed network, with services in all 36 districts and a stated average response time of about seven minutes across the province (the department's own figure). Motorbike ambulances reach some urban locations faster.
- Islamabad. Answers on 1122 and covers the city and its approaches.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A provincial service covers the districts. Many of the tourist valleys are hours from the nearest base, so response times will be longer than the city figures.
- Sindh. The service has expanded across the province in recent years and now operates in all divisions.
- Gilgit-Baltistan. Rescue 1122 exists under the 2012 GB Emergency Service Act and handles road accidents, fires and disasters. Hunza, Gilgit and Skardu are covered by bases, but a crash on a jeep track or a long mountain road may be hours from the nearest ambulance.
- Azad Kashmir. Coverage has grown since the 2007 pilot, but the situation in the region has been unstable in 2026, so check current conditions.
- Balochistan. According to Wikipedia's account, a separate highway service covers the major highways, while Quetta city is served by other agencies. Do not assume a 1122 ambulance will arrive quickly outside Quetta.
The response time figures on official sites are averages, mostly for urban areas. They do not apply to Kohistan, upper Chitral, the Karakoram Highway between towns, Deosai, or a trekking trail.
How to call 1122
- Dial 1122. It works from any phone, and a call goes to the control room of the province you are in.
- Say the emergency in one sentence: "Road accident, two injured" or "heatstroke, one person unconscious."
- Give your location as precisely as you can. Name the nearest town, bridge, hotel, petrol station or milestone, the direction of travel, and share a WhatsApp or Google Maps pin if you can reach someone who can send it.
- Give a call-back number and keep the phone on. If your signal is poor, send a text or ask a passerby to call.
- Do not hang up until told. The operator may give first-aid instructions.
Urdu will work best, but call handlers in the cities are used to callers who speak English too. If you are a foreign visitor, ask a local, a hotel or your driver to call for you if you can.
What to do before the ambulance arrives
- Keep the person still if there is any chance of a neck or back injury, and control bleeding with firm pressure.
- Move people away from moving traffic, and switch on hazard lights.
- Send someone to the road to wave the ambulance in.
- For heat-related illness, start cooling straight away; see our guide to heatstroke in Pakistan.
- Keep CNICs or passports, any medication list and insurance details together, so paramedics and the hospital can use them.
When 1122 is not enough
Some places are simply too remote for a road ambulance. For those, the sensible plan is to set it up before you go.
- Save local numbers. Our lists of emergency numbers for the northern areas and Gilgit-Baltistan emergency numbers give district contacts.
- Know the nearest real hospital. In the north, that is generally Gilgit, Skardu, Chitral or Abbottabad, not the small clinics in the valleys.
- Understand evacuation. Serious trekking or climbing incidents can involve helicopters, which are arranged through the military and tour operators and are paid for; see our guide to helicopter rescue in Pakistan.
- Carry insurance that covers medical evacuation. Our note on travel insurance for a northern areas trip explains what to look for.
- Tell someone your plan and expected return time, particularly on treks and jeep tracks with no signal.
Is it worth relying on?
Rescue 1122 is a proper public service and is used widely in Pakistani cities, where it often reaches a scene faster than a private ambulance would. For a road crash on the motorway or a medical emergency in a Punjab city, calling 1122 first is the right decision. In the mountains, treat it as one part of a plan, not the whole plan. Allow for delays, keep a driver or guide with a working phone, and have insurance in place.
Our FAQs cover other practical questions before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Rescue 1122 number?
Dial 1122 from any phone in Pakistan. It is the same number across the provinces, though each province runs its own service.
Does Rescue 1122 work in Gilgit-Baltistan and Hunza?
Yes, a Gilgit-Baltistan Emergency Service was established under a 2012 act and serves the region. Response times in remote valleys can be long, so also keep local hospital and police contacts.
Does Rescue 1122 cover Balochistan?
A separate highway emergency service covers the main highways, and Quetta city is served by other agencies. Coverage across the province is much thinner than in Punjab.
Can foreign tourists call Rescue 1122?
Yes, it can be dialled from any phone. Give a clear location and ask a local to help if language is a problem. Check the provincial service for any charges, which the official sites we checked do not state.
How fast does Rescue 1122 arrive?
Punjab's department cites an average of about seven minutes, with motorbike ambulances faster in some cities. That is an average, mostly for urban areas, and does not apply in remote mountain terrain.
Does Rescue 1122 do helicopter evacuation?
Not as a routine service. Helicopter evacuations in the mountains are usually organised through the military and operators, and cost money, so insurance matters.
