Pb Govt approves guidelines for the registration of marriage bureaus

Lahore: Senior Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister, Senator Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa has approved the guidelines for the registration of marriage bureaus. All marriage bureaus will be bound to register themselves with the Industries Department under Societies Registration Act 1860. Secretary Social Welfare Department will give legal form to these guidelines after consulting the Law Department so that it could be implemented after legislation.

Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa said this while presiding over a meeting regarding legislation for marriage bureaus. Home Secretary, Secretary Social Welfare Department, DIG Operations, concerning officials and owners of marriage bureaus also attended the meeting.

According to the guidelines, those looking for life partners and running marriage bureaus will be bound to sign an agreement so that interests of both parties could be protected. After registration, the marriage bureau will issue a proper receipt to the person wanting to get married who will also fill a registration form. That person will also be bound to sign the form and attach require certificates. In case of being local, the man wanting to get married, he will provide a copy of computerized national identity card of his own, his parents or guardian. In case of a girl looking for groom, she will not be required to provide her CNIC and she will only provide the copy of CNIC of her parents. If the person living abroad and looking for a life partner, he or she will be bound to provide a copy of passport, a photograph and copies of CNIC of the parents. The marriage bureau will mention their address and registration number in every correspondence and even in case of advertisement in newspaper or electronic media.

The marriage bureaus will prominently display all instructions regarding registration in their offices and their initial registration fee will be five thousand rupees. According to the guidelines, the persons providing this service individually or those doing match finder business on the internet will also be bound to follow these rules and regulations. The information provided by the persons looking for their life partners will be kept secret, and separate registers will be maintained for the boys and the girls, while two more registers will also be maintained. The registrations of the marriage bureaus will be cancelled if they violated these guidelines.