2 found guilty of tampering with marriage, birth papers

LAHORE: Local Government and Community Development Department has completed its inquiry against a gang involved in tampering with birth and marriage certificates (Nikahnamas) and other documents and recommended a strict departmental action against the officers involved in this illegal activity.

Some months back LG&CD Department had received a complaint that in Model Town Tehsil a gang was issuing tampered birth certificates and Nikahnamas to some criminal minded people on which Lahore Division LG&CD Director vide order number Dir/LG&CD/2018/164 dated 15.03.2018 appointed Rana Usman, ADGL Tehsil Model Town, as an enquiry officer to investigate the matter.

The main accused in the inquiry were Imran Butt, Secretary old UC 42 (Dhobi Ghat), and Ghulam Sajid, Secretary UC 274 (Babliyana), as it was alleged that Imran Butt as Secretary old UC 26 (Farooq Gunjh) verified a Nikahnama of Muhammad Luqman Younus with Ms Ambreen Khan in which date of marriage was mentioned 10.01.2009. Later, he issued a computerised marriage certificate based on the said Nikahnama, which showed Ms Ambreen as unmarried and then he cancelled the marriage certificate without any authority. After cancellation of marriage certificate, Ghulam Sajid issued another computerised marriage certificate to Muhammad Luqman mentioning 17.01.2016 as date of marriage.

As per findings of the inquiry, gross tampering was found with manual register. “The actual entry at serial no 734 was of Mazhar Ilyas Butt with Ms Ayesha. It was changed to 735 and Nikah Pirt of Muhammad Luqman was inserted in the row already left blank,” the report said. Signature of Nikah registrar on Nikahnama was different from his original signature and it was signed by the secretary himself with malafide intention and issued a computerised marriage certificate.

It said the recommendations were made in the light of a report prepared after probing the matter and cross-questioning with the accused secretaries, Nikah registrar, Nikahkhawan and other parties.”Imran Butt and Ghulam Sajid had committed serious criminal irregularities. It was not human error in the instant case. They acted with the connivance of Mirajul Haq, father of Ambreen Khan. It is recommended that under section 4 (b) (vi) of PEEDA Act, 2006 major penalty, dismissal from service may be imposed, on the accused secretaries,” the report said.

It further revealed that Hafiz Muhammad Ameer Khan, Nikahkhawan was involved in the registration of Nikahnama of Muhammad Luqman with Ambreen Khan without the signature of Nikah registrar and carelessly handles the official record so his case may be preceded under section 5(3)(4) of Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 (amended in 2015 by the Punjab govt). It concluded that the competent authority may refer the case to relevant authorities to start proceeding under the relevant clauses of law of land against Mirajul Haq who used wrong marriage certificate in the Nadra office to obtain CNIC of Ambreen Khan and got illegal benefit.