Affidavit of Relationship (Pakistan)

An Affidavit of Relationship in Pakistan evidences the deponent's sworn confirmation of the matters stated, for use where formal proof is needed.

In Pakistan's legal framework, family relationships carry profound legal significance. The Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 governs marriage, divorce, and maintenance for Muslims — the vast majority of Pakistan's population of over 230 million. Inheritance for Muslims is governed by the West Pakistan Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1962, which applies the rules of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) to determine the shares of legal heirs (warasat). For non-Muslims — including Pakistani Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and Parsis — family law is governed by the Christian Marriage Act 1872, the Hindu Marriage Act 2017 (applicable in Sindh and later extended to other provinces), and the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act 1936 respectively.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), established under the NADRA Ordinance 2000, maintains the national population register and issues Family Registration Certificates (FRC) that record family structures. However, the FRC may not reflect all relationships — particularly where marriage or death registrations are incomplete in rural Union Councils — making the Affidavit of Relationship an important supplementary document for administrative and legal purposes.

The instrument must be executed on non-judicial stamp paper of the denomination prescribed by the provincial Board of Revenue under the Stamp Act 1899 — typically PKR 50 to PKR 100. Under Section 35 of the Stamp Act 1899, an unstamped affidavit is inadmissible as evidence. The deponent's CNIC issued by NADRA (13-digit number) must be stated in the affidavit. A false relationship declaration — for example, falsely claiming a spousal or parental relationship to obtain immigration benefits, inheritance rights, or welfare payments — constitutes perjury under Section 193 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 (PPC) and may attract additional charges under the Immigration Ordinance 1979 or the Foreigners Act 1946.

Pakistani law does not maintain a single centralised family registry comparable to civil registration systems in some other jurisdictions. Relationships are recorded across multiple separate systems — birth certificates issued by Union Councils, Nikahnama marriage records, NADRA family registration certificates (B-Form), and court succession certificates under the Succession Act 1925. When any of these records is missing, outdated, or inconsistently named, an Affidavit of Relationship provides the sworn evidentiary bridge required by courts, consulates, banks, and administrative bodies.

The Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984, particularly Article 50 (facts as to relationship by marriage or birth), gives legal recognition to oral declarations about family relationships, and a sworn affidavit formalises such declarations in written and legally binding form. The Succession Act 1925 and the West Pakistan Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1962 together govern inheritance rights, and probate courts regularly rely on relationship affidavits when determining the legal heirs of a deceased person. Embassy and consular officers of countries including the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Canada specifically require relationship affidavits notarised by a Pakistani Notary Public or attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for family visa and dependent permit applications.

An Affidavit of Relationship in Pakistan is required in many types of administrative, legal, immigration, and financial situations where the existence of a familial or personal relationship must be confirmed by sworn declaration.

Visa and immigration applications for joining a spouse or family member abroad are a primary use case. When a Pakistani citizen applies for a family reunion visa to join a spouse, parent, or child in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, or a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member state, the foreign immigration authority typically requires sworn evidence of the relationship. The relevant foreign embassy or consulate in Islamabad or Karachi requires an Affidavit of Relationship alongside the Nikah Nama (marriage certificate) or birth certificate to confirm the familial tie claimed in the visa application.

An Affidavit of Relationship is required by NADRA when a citizen applies to add a family member to their Family Registration Certificate (FRC) or to update family data in the national population register — particularly where a birth or marriage was not formally registered with the Union Council at the time it occurred, which is common in rural areas of Punjab, Sindh, KPK, and Balochistan.

Inheritance and succession proceedings in District Courts and Civil Courts throughout Pakistan require Affidavits of Relationship from the heirs of a deceased person. When applying for a Succession Certificate under the Succession Act 1925, or a Legal Heir Certificate from the relevant revenue authority, the applicant must file sworn declarations confirming the relationships between the deceased and each named heir. Under the West Pakistan Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1962, the share of each heir depends precisely on the nature of the relationship (child, spouse, parent, sibling).

An Affidavit of Relationship is needed when a parent or guardian applies on behalf of a minor child for passport issuance, CNIC application (B-Form), school admission, or medical treatment consent, and the relationship between the adult applicant and the minor must be established by sworn declaration where documentary evidence (birth certificate) is unavailable or disputed.

Employers in the public sector — federal ministries, provincial departments, autonomous bodies — require Affidavits of Relationship when an employee claims dependent allowances, family medical benefits, or pension benefits for a spouse, child, or parent, where the relationship is not already documented in the employee's service record.

A legally valid Affidavit of Relationship in Pakistan under the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984 must contain all the following essential elements to be accepted by NADRA, courts, embassies, employers, and administrative authorities.

Stamp Paper: The affidavit must be executed on non-judicial stamp paper of the denomination prescribed by the relevant provincial Board of Revenue under the Stamp Act 1899. The typical denomination is PKR 50 to PKR 100. The stamp paper serial number must be stated on the document. Under Section 35 of the Stamp Act 1899, an improperly stamped affidavit is inadmissible in evidence and may be impounded.

Deponent Identification: Full legal name as on the CNIC, father's or husband's name, NADRA CNIC number (13-digit: XXXXX-XXXXXXX-X), age, residential address, and the city where the affidavit is sworn. These details establish the deponent's identity and enable cross-referencing with NADRA records and judicial records.

Identification of Related Person: Full name, CNIC number (if available), age, relationship to the deponent, and residential address of the person whose relationship to the deponent is being declared. Where the related person is a deceased individual (for inheritance purposes), the date and place of death and the relationship at the time of death must be stated.

Nature of Relationship Declaration: A precise sworn statement of the relationship being declared — for example, "that [Person A] is my lawful spouse, married to me on [date] under a Nikah Nama registered with the Union Council [number] of [District]" or "that [Person B] is my biological son/daughter born on [date] from my lawful wedlock with [spouse's name]" or "that [Person C] is my natural father/mother." The relationship must be stated with specificity, referencing Islamic family law (Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961) or the applicable personal law of religious minority communities where relevant.

Basis of Relationship: A brief factual account of the circumstances establishing the relationship — for married couples: the date, place, and official registration details of the Nikah; for parent-child relationships: the date of birth, the name of the maternity hospital or the Union Council birth registration, and the deponent's role as biological parent; for inheritance claimants: the date of death of the deceased and the deponent's position in the family tree.

Declaration That No Other Relationship Is Claimed: Where relevant — for example, in an inheritance affidavit — a declaration that the deponent is not aware of any other legal heir of equal or superior rank whose existence would affect the distribution of the estate under the applicable personal law.

Verification Clause and Oath: The standard verification clause sworn or affirmed under the Oaths Act 1873 before the Oath Commissioner, First Class Judicial Magistrate, or Notary Public, with the date and city of attestation. Muslims swear on the Quran; others affirm or swear on their respective holy scripture.

Witness Details: Most authorities — including NADRA, family courts, and embassies — require one or two adult witnesses who personally know both parties and can confirm the relationship. Each witness must provide their full name, CNIC number, and residential address. Under Article 17 of the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984, the requirements for witness numbers in matters affecting personal status must be considered.

Perjury Warning: An explicit acknowledgment that a false declaration of relationship constitutes perjury under Section 193 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860, punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment, and that false relationship declarations used for immigration or inheritance fraud may attract additional criminal liability.

Oath Commissioner Attestation: Signature, stamp, commission number, date, and city of attestation by the competent authority, with confirmation that the deponent was identified by original CNIC.

Forms-legal.com provides this Affidavit of Relationship (Pakistan) template as a starting point for confirming family relationships in legal and administrative proceedings. The template reflects requirements under the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984, Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961, West Pakistan Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1962, Succession Act 1925, NADRA Ordinance 2000, Stamp Act 1899, and Section 193 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860.