Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Ahwal e Shahkot (Android package and iOS bundle ID com.salman39.shahkotapp, "the App") is a local community app for the city of Shahkot, Pakistan, published by Nexarian ("we", "us"). It brings together buy & sell listings, jobs, property, food and shopping deals, local businesses, doctors and hospitals, blood donors, service providers, a Pick & Drop rider directory, community chat, news and other local information.

This policy explains what personal data the App collects, why, who it is shared with, how long it is kept and how you can delete it. It applies to the App and to our web pages at link.ahwaleshahkot.com.

2. Data we collect

Account information

• Google Sign-In: your name, email address, Google account ID and Google profile picture.
• Sign in with Apple (iPhone): your Apple user ID, and the name and email address Apple shares with us. If you choose "Hide My Email", we only receive an Apple relay address.
• Guest browsing (iPhone): you can look around without an account. Guests cannot post, chat or contact anyone, and we do not create an account for them.
• Phone and WhatsApp number that you enter. We check whether the number is active on WhatsApp so that other users can reach you.
• Profile photo and name changes you make in the App.

Location

• Precise and approximate location, only while the App is open (never in the background). It is used to check that you are within the Shahkot service area, to show the nearest riders, doctors and service providers, and to set a pickup point.
• We store your last known location and when it was taken. If you register as a service provider or rider, we store your work location so customers can see how far you are.
• When you contact a rider through the App, we record your approximate location and distance with that contact.

Content you create

• Listings, job posts and job applications, property posts, deals, business and shop details, news, comments, reviews and ratings.
• Messages in Open Chat and direct messages, including photos, videos and voice notes (voice notes use the microphone only when you record).
• Photos taken with the camera or chosen from your gallery.
• Blood donor details (blood group, availability) if you register as a donor.
• Rishta (matrimonial) profile details and photos, only if you choose to create one.

Verification documents

• Riders: CNIC (front and back), driving licence, vehicle photo and documents, number plate, a photo of the rider, and the account details where the rider wants to receive money.
• Service providers may submit CNIC images for verification.
• Rishta: CNIC images to confirm the person is 18 or older. These are permanently deleted as soon as the admin approves or rejects the profile.
• Doctor profiles submitted by users (doctor name, clinic, address, phone, fees, timings) are reviewed before they are published.

Payments

The App does not process card payments. Where a feature needs a payment (for example rider joining fee or wallet top-up, urgent listing boost, or an online doctor appointment), you pay through your own bank or mobile wallet and upload a payment screenshot, the amount and the sending number or account. We keep these to confirm the payment.

On iPhone, the App does not ask for payment for urgent listing boosts. You only send a request, and our team contacts you on WhatsApp with the details.

Doctor appointments

If you book an appointment: patient name, phone number, the doctor and time selected, and any payment screenshot. These are shared with that doctor.

Device and usage data

• A push notification token for your device.
• Which features you open, and views, calls, WhatsApp taps and shares on listings, so that we and business owners can see what is being used.
• When you were last active.
• On Android only: advertising ID and ad interaction data collected by Google AdMob (see section 5). The iPhone app shows no ads and does not track you.

AI assistants

If you use the AI Doctor or other AI assistants, the messages you type (and any voice message) are sent to our AI service providers (Google Gemini, Groq and Deepgram) to generate a reply or transcript. Do not include information you do not want processed this way. On iPhone, the App asks for your permission before it sends anything to these services.

3. How we use your data

• To create your account, keep you signed in and protect it from misuse.
• To show your listings, profile and content to other users of the App.
• To connect you with riders, doctors, service providers, sellers and employers you choose to contact.
• To verify riders, service providers and rishta profiles before they are shown.
• To confirm payments and activate paid features.
• To send push notifications and WhatsApp messages about your account, approvals, replies and expiring listings.
• To keep the App safe: reviewing reports, removing harmful content and blocking abusive accounts.
• To understand which features are used so we can improve them, and to show ads that keep the App free.

We do not sell your personal data.

4. What other users can see

• Your name, profile photo and the content you publish (listings, jobs, deals, reviews, chat messages).
• Contact details you choose to attach to a listing, business or profile.
• A rider's phone number is given only to a signed-in user who taps Call or WhatsApp, and every such contact is recorded.
• Blood donors' phone numbers are not shown publicly.
• Pages you share (for example a listing link) show that item's public details on the web, without phone numbers.

5. Service providers we share data with

We use these companies to run the App. They process data only to provide their service:

• Google — Sign-In, Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android notifications), Google Maps (maps), Gemini (AI replies) and, on Android only, AdMob (ads). Google Privacy Policy. AdMob may use your advertising ID to show personalised ads; you can reset it or opt out in your Android settings.
• Apple — Sign in with Apple and Apple Push Notification service (iPhone notifications). Apple Privacy Policy.
• Expo — delivering push notifications to iPhones. It receives your device's push token and the notification text.
• Groq — AI replies and converting voice into text.
• Cloudinary — storage of photos, videos, voice notes and documents.
• DigitalOcean — server and database hosting. DigitalOcean Privacy Policy.
• Upstash — temporary cache used for rate limiting.
• Amazon Web Services (SES) — sending emails.
• Deepgram — converting voice messages sent to AI assistants into text.
• WhatsApp (Meta) — messages we send to your number, and checking that a number is active on WhatsApp.
• Cloudflare — secure network delivery of our web pages and API.

We may also disclose data if required by Pakistani law or to protect users from fraud or harm.

6. How long we keep data

• Account data and your content are kept until you delete them or delete your account.
• In-app notifications are deleted automatically after 1 day.
• Expired listings are deleted automatically 30 days after they expire.
• Rishta CNIC images are deleted as soon as the admin decision is made.
• Payment screenshots and contact records are kept while the related account or feature is active, so disputes can be checked.
• When you delete your account, your data is removed from our live systems straight away; copies in routine backups are overwritten in the normal backup cycle.

8. Security

All communication between the App and our servers uses HTTPS. Sessions use signed tokens stored on your device. Verification documents are visible only to our admin team. No method of storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your data and limit who can access it.

Website (ahwaleshahkot.com). The website offers the same features as the App and uses the same data practices described above. When you sign in on the website, your session is kept in a single secure, HttpOnly cookie that expires after 30 days or when you log out; the website uses no advertising or third-party tracking cookies. Maps on the website are shown with OpenStreetMap tiles, and sign-in uses Google Sign-In. Location is used only if you allow it in your browser.

9. Children

The App is for users aged 13 and above. The Rishta feature is only for people aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13; if you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

10. Your rights

You can ask us to give you a copy of your data, correct it, delete it, or stop a particular use of it. Contact us using the details below; we reply within 30 days.

11. Changes to this policy

We will update this page when the App starts collecting or using data in a new way, and change the "Last updated" date above.

12. Contact

Nexarian — Ahwal e Shahkot
Email: salmanmalhig@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +92 316 0623838
Shahkot, District Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan