1. Introduction

The Pakistan Medical Lab Professionals Association (PMLPA) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your data when you visit our website pmlpa.org.pk, register for membership, or interact with us.

By using our website and providing your information, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, as well as some data automatically when you visit our site.

A. Personal Information You Provide:
This includes information submitted during the membership registration process and other interactions:

  • Identification Data: Full name, Father’s/Husband’s name, CNIC number, date of birth, gender.
  • Contact Data: Residential address, email address, mobile phone number.
  • Academic & Professional Data: Educational qualifications, institution name, year of graduation, job title, place of employment, professional experience.
  • Financial Data: Payment information for membership fees. Please note that all payments are processed securely by Stripe. PMLPA does not store your credit/debit card details on its servers.
  • Documentary Data: Scanned copies of your CNIC, photograph, degree certificates, and experience certificates.

B. Information Collected Automatically:
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

  • Technical Data: Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types, operating system.
  • Usage Data: Information about how you use our website, such as pages visited and links clicked, through cookies and similar technologies.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To Process Your Membership: To verify your qualifications, administer your membership, send your membership certificate, and manage renewals.
  • To Communicate With You: To send you important information regarding your membership, association announcements, news, event invitations, and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities via email and WhatsApp messages.
  • To Process Payments: To facilitate the secure processing of your membership fees through our third-party payment processor, Stripe.
  • To Improve Our Services: To analyze website usage and improve our website’s content, functionality, and user experience.
  • To Fulfill Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on one or more of the following legal grounds:

  • Performance of a Contract: Processing is necessary to fulfill our membership agreement with you.
  • Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests in administering the association, communicating with members, and ensuring the security of our website.
  • Consent: In some cases, we may ask for your explicit consent, for example, before adding you to a specific WhatsApp broadcast list.

5. How We Share Your Information

PMLPA values your privacy. We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal identification information to others. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

  • With Service Providers: We share necessary information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our members, such as Stripe for payment processing. These parties are obligated to keep your information confidential.
  • For Legal Reasons: We may disclose information where required by law, subpoena, or other legal processes, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of PMLPA, our members, or others.
  • With Your Consent: We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

6. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, including to fulfill our contractual obligations, defend legal claims, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. If you terminate your membership, we will retain your data for a reasonable period thereafter for archival and legal purposes, after which it will be securely deleted or anonymized.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Right to Erasure: You can request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain legal limitations.
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You can request that we temporarily or permanently stop processing all or some of your personal data.
  • Right to Object: You can object to our processing of your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in the “Contact Us” section below.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include secure servers, encryption, and limited access to personal data by authorized personnel only. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to other websites, such as Stripe’s payment page. Please note that we have no control over the content and practices of these sites and cannot be responsible for their privacy policies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

PMLPA may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

  • Email: info@pmlpa.org.pk
  • Via our Website: Use the Contact Us form.
  • Mail: Pakistan Medical Lab Professionals Association (PMLPA), Usman Block, 565 Bahria Town Phase 8, Islamabad, Pakistan.