Updated: 10 September 2026
Pakistan’s prescribed Muslim Nikah Nama Form II contains 25 numbered entries. The form is more than a ceremonial paper: it records the parties, representatives where applicable, witnesses, Mahr, special conditions, delegated divorce, an existing marriage and Arbitration Council permission, the person who solemnised the marriage, and registration particulars.
This guide explains the official clauses in plain English so a bride and groom can review the form before signing. For specimen files, use our Urdu and English Nikah Nama PDF download page. For a broader overview of legal status and registration, see Nikah Nama in Pakistan.
Legal Basis of the Nikah Nama Form in Pakistan
Section 5 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 requires every Muslim marriage solemnised under Muslim law to be registered in accordance with the Ordinance and the prescribed rules. Under the West Pakistan Rules made under the Ordinance, the Union Council supplies a Nikah Registrar with a bound register containing Form II in quadruplicate.
Where the Nikah Registrar solemnises the marriage, the form is completed in quadruplicate and signed by the persons whose signatures are required. The Nikah Registrar signs and seals it, retains the original in the register, supplies copies to the bride and bridegroom, and forwards the prescribed copy to the Union Council. Where another person solemnises the marriage, the rules provide for Form II to be delivered to the relevant Nikah Registrar for registration.
Clauses 1–6: Place, Bridegroom and Bride
Clause 1 – Place Where the Marriage Took Place
Clause 1 records the Ward, Town or Union, Tehsil/Thana and District in which the marriage took place. This is important because territorial jurisdiction affects which Nikah Registrar and local authority should handle registration.
Clause 2 – Bridegroom and His Father
This entry records the name of the bridegroom, his father and their respective residence details. Names should be checked against lawful identity documents to reduce later discrepancies.
Clause 3 – Age of the Bridegroom
The bridegroom’s age is stated here. The legal minimum age must be checked under the law currently applicable in the relevant jurisdiction; couples should not rely on old internet articles or a blank specimen form.
Clause 4 – Bride and Her Father
This records the name of the bride, her father and their respective residences. Again, spelling should correspond with official identity and passport records where possible.
Clause 5 – Bride’s Previous Marital Status
The prescribed wording asks whether the bride is a maiden, widow or divorcee. Where there has been a previous marriage, the appropriate supporting record concerning its termination may be relevant before a new marriage is registered.
Clause 6 – Age of the Bride
The bride’s age is entered here. Because child-marriage legislation has changed in several Pakistani jurisdictions, the current local law should be verified before solemnisation. See our Legal Age for Marriage in Pakistan 2026 guide.
Clauses 7–10: Vakils and Witnesses to Their Appointment
Clause 7 – Bride’s Vakil
If the bride has appointed a Vakil, this entry records the Vakil’s name, father’s name and residence. Where no Vakil is used, the form should be completed according to the actual circumstances rather than inventing a representative.
Clause 8 – Witnesses to Appointment of Bride’s Vakil
This clause records the witnesses to the appointment of the bride’s Vakil, including their fathers’ names, residences and relationship with the bride. These are witnesses to the appointment of the Vakil; they should not automatically be confused with the separate witnesses to the marriage recorded in clause 11.
Clause 9 – Bridegroom’s Vakil
If a Vakil has been appointed by the bridegroom, the form records the Vakil’s name, father’s name and residence here.
Clause 10 – Witnesses to Appointment of Bridegroom’s Vakil
This clause records the witnesses to the bridegroom’s appointment of a Vakil. The prescribed form therefore distinguishes representatives and witnesses to representative appointments from the marriage witnesses themselves.
Clauses 11–12: Marriage Witnesses and Date
Clause 11 – Witnesses to the Marriage
Clause 11 records the names of the witnesses to the marriage, their fathers’ names and residences. The prescribed Form II provides two witness entries. Questions about religious witness requirements should also be considered under the parties’ applicable school of Muslim personal law; the statutory form itself should not be used to make sweeping claims about every school of Islamic jurisprudence.
Clause 12 – Date of Marriage
The date on which the marriage was contracted is recorded in clause 12. This may differ from the later date of registration shown in clause 24, so the two dates should not be casually treated as identical.
Clauses 13–16: Mahr or Dower
Clause 13 – Amount of Dower
This clause states the amount of Mahr (dower). Mahr is a financial obligation arising in favour of the wife from the Muslim marriage contract. It is not the same thing as dowry.
Clause 14 – Prompt and Deferred Dower
Clause 14 records how much of the dower is mu‘ajjal (prompt) and how much is deferred. This distinction should be agreed and written clearly. Under section 10 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961, where the mode of payment is not specified in the Nikah Nama or marriage contract, the entire dower is presumed payable on demand.
Clause 15 – Dower Paid at the Time of Marriage
This asks whether any portion of the dower was paid at the time of marriage and, if so, how much. A truthful entry can later be important where payment is disputed.
Clause 16 – Property Given in Lieu of Dower
If property is given in lieu of all or part of the dower, clause 16 asks for the property to be specified and for the valuation agreed by the parties. Vague descriptions such as “a plot” or “gold” can create avoidable disputes; identifiable property should be described with reasonable precision.
For more detail, read our Mehar (Mahr) in Islam and Pakistani law guide.
Clause 17 – Special Conditions
Clause 17 expressly provides space for special conditions, if any. This is one of the most important contractual parts of the form. Lawful conditions should be written clearly, reflect the parties’ actual agreement and be understood before signature.
A condition copied from another couple’s Nikah Nama may not suit the present marriage. Where a proposed condition concerns residence, finances, education, employment, property or another significant right, careful drafting can prevent ambiguity.
Parties should also recognise that not every private term can conclusively determine every future legal issue. For example, matters concerning children remain subject to the applicable law and the welfare or best interests of the child.
Clause 18 – Delegated Power of Divorce
Clause 18 asks whether the husband has delegated the power of divorce to the wife and, if so, under what conditions. This is commonly associated with Talaq-e-Tafweez. The entry should not be crossed out merely as an automatic custom without the parties understanding what it means.
If delegation is agreed, the wording and any conditions should accurately reflect that agreement. Because the legal consequences can be significant, this clause deserves informed consideration before signing.
Clause 19 – Curtailment of Husband’s Right of Divorce
Clause 19 asks whether the husband’s right of divorce is in any way curtailed. This is distinct from clause 18. The form therefore allows the parties to address both delegation to the wife and any agreed limitation concerning the husband’s exercise of divorce, subject to applicable law.
Clause 20 – Separate Document Relating to Dower, Maintenance or Other Matters
Clause 20 asks whether any document was drawn up at the time of marriage relating to dower, maintenance or other matters and, if so, requests its contents in brief. If a separate agreement genuinely forms part of the marital arrangements, its relationship with the Nikah Nama should be recorded accurately.
Clauses 21–22: Existing Wife and Arbitration Council Permission
Clause 21 – Existing Wife and Permission to Contract Another Marriage
Clause 21 asks whether the bridegroom has an existing wife and, if so, whether he has secured permission of the Arbitration Council under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 to contract another marriage.
This wording matters. The statutory procedure under section 6 is not accurately reduced to a simple statement that “the first wife must sign the Nikah Nama”. The Ordinance requires prior written permission of the Arbitration Council during the subsistence of an existing marriage, through the prescribed process.
Clause 22 – Number and Date of Arbitration Council Communication
Where permission has been granted, clause 22 records the number and date of the communication conveying that permission to the bridegroom. This gives the form a documentary link to the Arbitration Council decision rather than relying merely on an oral assertion.
Clause 23 – Person Who Solemnised the Marriage
This clause records the name and address of the person by whom the marriage was solemnised and his father. The person who solemnises the Nikah and the licensed Nikah Registrar may be the same person, but the Rules also contemplate a marriage solemnised by another competent person who then delivers Form II to the relevant Nikah Registrar for registration.
Clause 24 – Date of Registration
Clause 24 records the date of registration of the marriage. It should not automatically be confused with clause 12, which records the date on which the marriage was contracted.
Clause 25 – Registration Fee Paid
The final numbered entry records the registration fee paid. Fee schedules and administrative practices can change, so couples should confirm the current applicable charges with the competent local authority rather than relying on an old printed amount found online.
Signatures at the End of Form II
After the numbered entries, Form II contains signature spaces for the bridegroom or his Vakil, witnesses to appointment of the bridegroom’s Vakil, the bride, the bride’s Vakil, witness or witnesses concerning appointment of the bride’s Vakil, the witnesses to the marriage, the person who solemnised the marriage, and the signature and seal of the Nikah Registrar as applicable.
The official Rules require the persons whose signatures are required in the form to sign it. A marriage record should therefore reflect the actual method of participation rather than a fabricated presence or authority.
Do All 25 Clauses Have to Be Filled in the Same Way?
No. Some fields are factual and always require accurate particulars, while others apply only if a Vakil, special condition, separate agreement or existing marriage is relevant. “Not applicable” and a substantive contractual choice are not the same thing. Important fields should be considered deliberately rather than being crossed out mechanically.
Nikah Nama vs Marriage Registration Certificate
The Nikah Nama records the marriage contract and detailed entries. A computerised Marriage Registration Certificate (MRC) is a separate civil-registration certificate generated from the registered marriage record. It does not replace every contractual term contained in the Nikah Nama.
See our MRC vs Nikah Nama comparison for details.
Before You Sign: Practical Checklist
- Read every applicable entry before signing.
- Check spelling of names against CNIC/NICOP/passport documents.
- Confirm the current legal marriage-age requirement for the relevant jurisdiction.
- State Mahr and its prompt/deferred division clearly.
- Describe any property forming part of Mahr precisely.
- Review special conditions carefully.
- Understand clause 18 on delegated divorce before accepting or deleting it.
- If there is a subsisting marriage, verify section 6/Arbitration Council compliance.
- Make sure any Vakil actually has genuine authority.
- Retain the copies supplied through the registration process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many clauses are in the Pakistani Nikah Nama?
The prescribed Form II under the Rules contains 25 numbered entries, followed by the relevant signature and seal spaces.
Which clauses deal with Mahr?
Clauses 13–16 deal directly with the amount of dower, prompt and deferred portions, payment at the time of marriage, and property given in lieu of dower. Clause 20 can also refer to a separate document relating to dower, maintenance or other matters.
Which clause contains special conditions?
Clause 17 provides the space for special conditions, if any.
Which clause deals with delegated divorce?
Clause 18 asks whether the husband has delegated the power of divorce to the wife and, if so, under what conditions.
Which clauses concern a second marriage?
Clauses 21 and 22 concern an existing wife and the Arbitration Council’s permission/communication for another marriage under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961.
Can I download the Nikah Nama form?
Yes. Use our Nikah Nama PDF download page for Urdu and English specimen forms.
Legal review: Court Marriage Attorneys. Content reviewed under the supervision of Mohsin Ali Shah, Advocate, Chairman Qanoon Group, with 40 years of legal practice in Pakistan.
This guide provides general legal information. Provincial amendments, local registration procedures and the facts of a particular marriage should be checked before relying on a specimen form.