Names
An affidavit and newspaper publication, followed by correction of the NADRA record, which is the decisive document.
A name is changed by sworn affidavit and publication in newspapers, after which the change must be reflected in the NADRA computerised national identity card record. In practice the CNIC record governs almost every subsequent formality, so the NADRA update is the step that matters.
Key points
| Affidavit | Sworn before a notary or oath commissioner |
|---|---|
| Newspaper | Announcement published, usually in two newspapers |
| NADRA | CNIC record must be corrected; this is the operative step |
| Children | Birth registration record (NADRA B-Form) updated by the parents |
| Marriage | A woman is not required to change her name; practice varies |
| Documents | Passport, educational certificates and bank records updated afterwards |
| Affidavit and publication | Usually required, with newspaper notice |
| Married names | No obligation; many women retain their own name |
In practice
- Update NADRA records first; other institutions follow the CNIC.
- Keep the newspaper notice and affidavit; they are frequently requested.
Cost and coverage
Affidavit, publication and NADRA fees are modest.
Recent changes
Discrepancies between educational certificates and CNIC records are a common obstacle for employment and travel, and are best resolved early.
Where to go
- NADRA registration centres.
- Notaries and oath commissioners.
- Boards of education for certificate corrections.
Worth knowing
Correct the educational certificates too. A mismatch between a degree and a CNIC causes problems with visas and job applications long after the name change itself is complete. Because the CNIC is the master record, updating it first saves repeated rejections elsewhere. Do not start with the bank.
Adoption
Islamic law prohibits tabanni, adoption that attributes a child to someone other than their biological father. Pakistan therefore has no adoption statute. The Guardians and Wards Act 1890 allows a family court to appoint a guardian of the person and property of a minor, which gives custody and responsibility but not parentage. The child does not inherit automatically from the guardian, though a bequest of up to one third of the estate is permitted, as is a gift during the guardian's lifetime.
The Edhi Foundation's jhula cradles, placed outside its centres so that a newborn can be left safely and anonymously, are the origin of a large share of guardianship placements. The foundation then seeks a family through the guardian court, and its practice is generally regarded as the most transparent route.
Because the child keeps their own lineage, several practical issues follow that families underestimate: the child's identity documents, the rules on mahram and veiling within the household once the child reaches puberty, and the absence of any automatic inheritance right. Families that intend to provide for the child do so by gift or by a bequest within the permitted one third.
For Pakistani families settled in Britain, Canada or the Gulf, the pattern is familiar: a guardianship order is obtained in Pakistan, then the child's entry depends entirely on the immigration rules of the destination, which usually require an adoption in that country or a de facto adoption established over time.
Key points
| Law | Guardians and Wards Act 1890; Islamic law of lineage |
|---|---|
| Form | Guardianship, not adoption; no change of parentage |
| Court | Family court or guardian court of the district |
| Name | The child retains their own name and lineage |
| Inheritance | No automatic share; bequest limited to one third, gift permitted |
| Hague Convention | Not a party to the 1993 Convention |
In practice
- Identify the child through a registered welfare organisation such as the Edhi Foundation or a government-run centre.
- File a guardianship petition before the family court of the district where the child resides.
- Provide financial and character evidence, and allow the court's inquiry.
- Obtain the guardianship certificate, which authorises custody and, if sought, permission to take the child abroad.
- For overseas guardians, apply separately in the country of residence: most will not treat the certificate as an adoption.
Cost and coverage
Court fees and lawyer's charges are modest by international standards, typically a few tens of thousands of rupees. The real cost for overseas applicants lies in the length of the process and in the second procedure required abroad.
Recent changes
Provincial child protection legislation has strengthened the regulation of institutions caring for abandoned children, and the courts have become more demanding about the child's welfare and about permission to remove a child from Pakistan.
Where to go
- Family court or guardian court of the district
- Edhi Foundation and other registered child welfare organisations
- Provincial child protection and welfare bureaux
- NADRA, for registration of the child's identity documents
- Consulates of the country of residence, for visa and recognition questions
Worth knowing
A guardianship certificate is not an adoption order: most European and North American authorities will not treat it as creating parentage, and a separate adoption in the country of residence is usually required.
Frequently asked questions
Is adoption legal in Pakistan?
Not in the sense of creating filiation. Courts appoint guardians under the Guardians and Wards Act 1890; the child keeps their own name and lineage.
Can a guardian take the child abroad?
Only with the court's express permission, and the destination country will apply its own rules on entry and on whether the guardianship is recognised.
Does the child inherit from the guardian?
Not automatically. The guardian may leave up to one third of the estate by will, or make a gift during their lifetime.
Where do children available for guardianship come from?
Mostly from registered welfare organisations, notably the Edhi Foundation's cradle scheme, and from government-run centres.
The general article: Adoption · Compare with another country
Assisted reproduction
Pakistan has no comprehensive law on assisted reproduction. Clinics operate under general medical regulation and the oversight of provincial healthcare commissions, and professional practice follows the position of the Council of Islamic Ideology and mainstream Sunni jurisprudence: treatment is permissible for a married couple using their own gametes, while third-party donation and surrogacy are not. IVF and ICSI are widely practised in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other cities, entirely in the private sector.
Without a statute, the practical protection for patients comes from choosing the centre carefully. The questions that matter are concrete: is there a full-time embryologist, how many cycles does the laboratory perform each year, what is the witnessing procedure for gametes and embryos, and what happens to surplus embryos.
Male factor infertility is very common and often diagnosed late because the assumption within families falls on the woman. A semen analysis costs little and takes a day; insisting on it at the first consultation shortens the path considerably.
Consanguineous marriage is frequent in Pakistan, which raises the value of genetic counselling for couples with a family history of inherited disease. Preimplantation testing is available in some centres but expensive, and the counselling matters more than the technology.
Same-sex couples: treatment is reserved for married heterosexual couples.
Key points
| Law | No dedicated ART statute; general medical regulation |
|---|---|
| Access | Married couples using their own gametes |
| Donation | Not accepted under the dominant religious position |
| Surrogacy | Not recognised; judicially contested |
| Sector | Private; no public funding |
| Oversight | Provincial healthcare commissions |
In practice
- Have both partners investigated; semen analysis should be among the first tests, not the last.
- Treat what is treatable: infections, varicocele, ovulation disorders, thyroid disease.
- Choose a clinic registered with the provincial healthcare commission and ask about its embryologist.
- Obtain a written estimate that includes medication, which is a large share of the cost.
- Agree in advance how many cycles are financially realistic.
Cost and coverage
An IVF cycle costs PKR 400,000 to 800,000 including medication, and ICSI more. There is no public funding and insurance rarely covers fertility treatment. Costs are low by international standards, which attracts patients from the Gulf and from the diaspora.
Recent changes
Draft legislation on assisted reproduction has been discussed for several years without being enacted, leaving clinic quality and the handling of gametes to vary considerably between centres.
Where to go
- Private ART centres in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar
- Teaching hospitals for the diagnostic work-up
- Provincial healthcare commissions, for clinic registration
- Pakistan Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- Council of Islamic Ideology, for the religious position on third-party involvement
Worth knowing
Clinics that offer donor gametes or surrogacy operate outside both the religious consensus and any legal framework, and the child's parentage would be highly uncertain.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a law on IVF in Pakistan?
No dedicated statute. Clinics operate under general medical regulation and provincial healthcare commissions.
Are donor eggs or sperm used?
Not under the dominant religious position, which permits treatment only for a married couple using their own gametes.
What does a cycle cost?
PKR 400,000 to 800,000 including medication, more for ICSI.
Is surrogacy recognised?
No. It is not provided for in law and has been judicially contested; parentage would be very uncertain.
How do I choose a clinic?
Ask about the full-time embryologist, annual cycle numbers, witnessing procedures for gametes, and get a written estimate including drugs.
The general article: Assisted reproduction · Compare with another country
General sources
- Government of Pakistan — official government portal