Balochistan Rolls Out First Digital Nikah Registration Service

Balochistan has taken a significant step toward modernising civil records with the launch of its first digital marriage registration service. The inaugural Marriage Registration Certificate (MRC) was issued at Haji Ghaibi Road Union Council, Ward 22, under the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation, according to officials familiar with the initiative.

The programme is a joint effort between the Balochistan government and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). It introduces digital registration for nikah registrars along with a digital solemnisation module, replacing much of the paperwork traditionally involved in recording a marriage.

Under the pilot, Maulvi Samiullah became the province's first digitally registered nikah registrar and received his licence on October 28. He then recorded the first marriage through the new system on October 29, with authorities issuing the resulting certificate on October 30. Three officials were credited with completing the pilot: Dr Nausheen Khan, deputy director at Quetta Metropolitan Corporation; Dawood Momand, NADRA's assistant director for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics; and Muhammad Arif, field officer for Quetta district.

The workflow is designed to be straightforward. Registered nikah registrars submit marriage details and the required documents to the relevant union council through the Pak ID mobile app. Once the union council secretary verifies and approves the submission, the system automatically generates the MRC, which the registrar, the bride and the groom can each download and print from their own Pak ID accounts.

Authorities say the initiative is intended to make marriage registration more transparent, efficient, secure and faster, while cutting down on manual processing. The shift to digital records also aims to give citizens easier access to their documents and to provide more modern public services across the province.

The rollout reflects a broader push in Pakistan toward digitising civil registration and identity-related services, with mobile platforms increasingly used to connect citizens with government departments. For Balochistan, officials view the pilot as a foundation for extending digital nikah registration to other union councils in the months ahead.