ISLAMABAD, Dec 17 (APP): The minorities, especially Christians living in the federal capital will be able to register their marriages at union council levels.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration in that regard has appointed assistant director local government and rural development/ chairman of Arbitration Council to act as authorized officer.
According to a notification, issued by Chief commissioner office, the other day, the authorized officer was asked to complete all codal formalities to start registeration/issuance of Christian marriage certificates on NADRA Registration Management System (CRMS) format in rural areas of ICT through union councils on the same analogy of Muslim marriages.
“The authorzed person will also draft a fresh MoU for new design of revised proposal/procedure/contract of Christian/minorities marriage registration by National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) to best accommodate the minorities,”read the notification.
Religious minority communities in Islamabad were facing several challenges as their marriages are not registered at their union councils.
Recently, the issue was taken up in the National Assembly by local MNA Ali Nawaz Awan through a calling attention notice.
Following this, the assembly referred the case to the interior ministry, which supported the calling attention notice and directed the Islamabad chief commissioner for further necessary action.
Talking to APP on Thursday, Awan said the Christian community of Islamabad was facing issues related to their marriage, especially in preparation of their family trees.
“In Islamabad, some 200,000 Christian live in various slums, sectors and rural areas such as Bhara Khau, Iqbal Town etc, and they were facing various issues related to their documentation,” he said and added that now, the issue would be settled at the union council level.
“It was strange that the Christian living here for the last six decades cannot get their marriages registered. The Supreme Court judgment in this regard has been implemented in all other cities but not in Islamabad,” he said and added that after a formal procedure “union councils will start registering marriages of Christians immediately. ”
