Authorities in former FR Peshawar have issued strict new directives to stop underage marriages and tighten marriage registration procedures across the region.
The local government assistant director instructed all council secretaries to verify the age of every applicant before processing a marriage request.
Officials must now check a NADRA form, a school certificate, or a birth certificate to ensure no underage applicant is approved.
The orders also mandate thorough documentation for previously dissolved marriages.
Registrars must verify divorce certificates and khula orders, while widows must provide the husband’s death certificate before remarriage. Second marriages will require permission from the competent authority.
To improve transparency, authorities have ordered that all marriages be recorded in the council’s official register and uploaded immediately to the MIS system.
Unnecessary delays in updating marriage records have been banned.
Village secretaries have also been directed to brief chairmen, councillors, and marriage registrars on the new rules to ensure consistent enforcement at all levels.
Officials say the measures aim to close loopholes, strengthen oversight, and better protect minors from illegal or undocumented marriages in the region.