Pakistan Civil Registration

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Pakistan Civil Registration

Prior to 1947, Pakistan was part of British India.

How to Find the Records

Online Collections

India Records Including Pakistan:

• 1664-1961 British in India, index, Findmypast ($).
• India Office Family History Search, British Library
• 1676-1914 India (French Overseas) Civil Registration and Parish Registers, 1676-1914, index and images, Archives nationales d'outre-mer
• 1628-1969 UK, Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects, 1628-1969, index, Ancestry.com ($)
• 1786-1947 India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images incomplete
• 1786-1947 India, Select Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947, index, incomplete, Ancestry.com ($).
• 1786-1947 India, Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947, index, incomplete, MyHeritage.com ($).
• British India Office Births & Baptisms, index, Findmypast ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, India, index and images, Findmypast ($)

• 1792-1948 India Marriages, 1792-1948 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, incomplete
• 1792-1948 India, Select Marriages, 1792-1948, index, incomplete, Ancestry.com ($).
• 1792-1948 India, Marriages, 1792-1948, index, incomplete, MyHeritage.com ($).
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, India, index and images, Findmypast ($)
• British India Office Marriages, index, Findmypast ($)

• 1719-1948 India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images incomplete
• 1719-1948 India, Select Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948, index, incomplete, Ancestry.com ($).
• 1719-1948 India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948, index, incomplete, MyHeritage.com ($).
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index and images, Findmypast ($)
• British India Office Deaths & Burials, index, Findmypast ($)
• British Subjects Who Died In The Service Of The Indian Empire, index, Findmypast ($)

Offices to Contact

The Civil Registration Management System is at the local government level in Pakistan.

• The Family Registration Certificate (FRC)

Family Registration Certificate (FRC) is a means of being identified with your NADRA’s record. This provides the family composition. Please note that the Family Registration Certificate (FRC) helps in Embassy use mostly but cannot be used for any Legal requirement. You can apply for FRC in the following three categories:

• By Birth – The produced certificate will list your family including the details of your parents and siblings.
• By Marriage – The produced certificate will list your family including the details of your spouse and children.
• By Adoption – The produced certificate will list your family including the details of your guardian.

However, the reporting of births is not compulsory so the records may be sporadic. Unfortunately there was also a fire in the central repository in Pakistan in 1948, when lots of the civil documents were lost. To see if there are any surviving records of your family, you need to contact the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths in the municipality from which you think your ancestors came. It's worth remembering that there are often variations in the spellings and combinations of names.

From time to time, births were reported in local newspapers, some of which are held at the National Archives of Pakistan. However, in many cases these only give an approximate year of birth.

Marriage records also vary but Muslims are required to register marriage with the Nikah Registrar. Any copies of the certificate, known as the Nikah Nama, will be in Urdu. Marriage records are held with the local registrar in Pakistan.

Historical Background

In early 1500s, Mughals took over the area. Gradually between 1839 and 1893, all of Pakistan was under British control. Independence from Britain came in 1943.

Coverage and Compliance

Most of the records are from the British time frame and include the time when Pakistan was part of British India.

Information Recorded in the Records

Birth/Baptism Records

• Place
• Date of baptism
• Date of birth, alleged
• Name of child
• Gender
• Names of parents
• Residence
• Trade or profession
• Name of person who performed the baptism

Marriage Records

• Place
• Date
• Names of bride and groom
• Age
• Marital status
• Rank or profession
• Residence
• Signatures of bride and groom
• Names of the fathers of bride and groom
• Signatures of witnesses
• Name of person who performed the marriage and designation (priest, etc.)

Death Records

• Date of death
• Name of deceased
• Age
• Trade or profession
• Date of burial
• Cause of death, if known
• Name of person by whom buried and designation (priest, chaplain, etc.)
• Place of burial
• Type of rites (Church of England, etc.)