October 27th, 2021
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
Provincial lawmakers in Punjab have called for inclusion for an oath of Finality of Prophethood (Khatm-i-Nabuwat) in the marriage certificate under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance.
On Tuesday, the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution urging the provincial government to insert an oath in the marriage certificate to differentiate between Muslim and Non-Muslim (Qadiani, Ahmedi) individuals.
“The Punjab Assembly calls on the Punjab Government that the oath as inserted in the NADRA and Passport forms to differentiate between Muslim and Non-Muslim ((Qadiani, Ahmedi etc) should also be clearly insert in the marriage certificate form under Section 10 and 8 of the rules of The Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961,” reads the resolution. The resolution was moved by Khadija Umer and Baasima Chaudhary from Pakistan Muslim League and Maulana Ilyas Chinioti from the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
On the onset of the session Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, Speaker of Punjab Assembly, said a number of cases have been reported in which the grooms had turned out of the non-Muslim faith after marriages. “In order to prevent such incidents, it is essential that the oath of Finality of Prophethood (Khatm-i-Nabuwat) should be included in the marriage certificate form (Nikahnama),” he said, adding that this would remove any doubts as to faith before marriages. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
Speaking to Voicepk.net, Khadija Umer, member of provincial assembly (MPA), said she moved the resolution after she received several complaints from families that their children were deceived into marrying individuals from Qadiani, Ahmedi faiths.
However, she could not give exact figures of such complaints but said the resolution would help initiate legal procedure to incorporate the oath in the marriage certificate form. “The purpose of the resolution is that the provincial government initiates the legal procedures to incorporate the oath in the Nikahnama so that such complaints do not arise in the future,” the MPA said.
Speaking to Voicepk, MPA Murtaza Hassan from the Pakistan People’s Party said he was unaware of the resolution as he had not attended the session and it was also not listed in the house agenda for the session. In his opinion, if a person affirms an oath once it suffices for all occasions. “The oath of Finality of Prophethood (Khatm-i-Nabuwat) is included in the NADRA and Passport forms and if a citizen has affirmed his faith there should be no need of further affirmation elsewhere,” he told Voicepk.net.
The public interest resolution has no legal binding on the government. According to legal experts, the provincial government would have to amend the provincial marriage laws to insert the oath in the marriage certificate form.
