Divorce Deed, NADRA Divorce Certificate
or other Divorce Papers in Pakistan

• Drafting of Divorce Deeds according to Pakistani Laws.
• Drafting a notice/covering letter to the Chairman Union Council.
• Acknowledgments of service/receipts of Divorce Deed.
• To get a divorce deed/decree with the concerned Union Council.
• Divorce confirmation before the Union Council.
• Obtaining the Divorce Certificate from the Union Council confirming the divorce registration.
• Aiming for alternative dispute resolution in order to avoid lengthy court proceedings, we will effectively negotiate on your behalf.

In most cases the wife would be supported by the litigation department for filling of Khula application in the family court under any one or more of the following laws and ordinances:

• Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939
• Muslim Family Law Ordinance 1961
• Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1962
• Family Courts Act 1964
• Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance 1979
• Law of Evidence (Qanun-e-Shahadat) Order 1984
• Enforcement of Sharia Act 1991
• Dowry and Bridal Gifts (Restriction) Act 1976
• Prohibition (Enforcement of Hudood) Order 1979
• Qazf (Enforcement of Hudood ) Order 1979
• Execution of Punishment of Whipping Ordinance 1979

Types of Divorce or Talaq

There are some types of divorce among Muslims through which a marriage is dissolved/annulled. These forms are:

Talaq (Divorce by husband)

In accordance with Islamic Personal Law and section 7 of the Muslim Family Law Ordinance, the husband pronounces talaq (orally or by means of a Deed of Divorce) and notifies the Union Council by registered mail, mentioning the address of the ex-wife. Within 30 days of receiving the notice, the union Council sends a copy of the notice to the wife by registered mail and forms an arbitration council. The union council issues a certificate of Talaq becoming effective to the husband and wife after the iddat period (90 days from when the Union Council receives the Talaq notice) is over.

If the husband failed to send the Union Council written notice of his verbal talaq, so the talaq is not valid. Although the Union Council may issue a certificate of talaq, its validity can still be challenged if it was not properly served on the wife.

The original purpose of this law was to protect women from instant and unrecorded divorces. Until 1979 and the introduction of the Zina Ordinance, women who were not legally divorced and remarried could be punished for bigamy and sentenced to 7 to 10 years (or even more if her previous marriage was concealed) and only on the complaint of their first husbands. Bigamy has caused women to be liable for zina charges since 1979, which can carry very severe penalties, including death. Thus, it is vital for a woman to be clear about her marital status and have documentary evidence of her divorce.

It is permissible to serve a talaq notice on a wife (with permission from the Union Council) through her father, mother, adult brother, or sister, but not through any other relatives. As a last resort, if her location is not known and notice cannot be delivered to her through her family, the husband can still serve notice through a newspaper approved by the union council.