RECENTLY, I had to get birth registration for my niece, who was born in Rawalpindi. The first step is to go to the union council concerned and show them the death/birth certificate issued by the hospital where the child was born. If the birth took place a month ago, you are in for a hectic shuttling between a number of government offices in different corners of the city.

First, you are told to fill a prescribed application form available at the Executive District Officer (EDO) office. After filling up the form and a duly attested affidavit stating reasons for the late registration, it is submitted to the union council concerned for its report/verification.

When verification is done by the union council, you are then directed to the EDO office which attaches a covering letter requesting the assistant commissioner, Rawalpindi, for verification.

When your turn does come and if your documents are complete, the file is then marked by the AC to the tehsildar whose office is situated at Saddar.

The tehsildar asks you to fill and sign yet another form which has to be presented to him, along with two witnesses.

If you are lucky enough to get the witnesses readily and complete the formalities at the tehsildar office, you are then asked to deposit a fee to give an advertisement in a newspaper.

If no objection is received from anyone within the stipulated time, the tehsildar office compiles a report and marks the file to the AC for further action.

The court issues you a letter for the EDO stating that there is nothing against the person requiring the death/birth registration.

At the EDO office a clerk verifies the contents of the file/documents. If everything goes well, you are then given a date for collection of a letter authorising the union council to issue the registration certificate. The regulation of the department allows this letter to be signed only by the EDO.

When the EDO does sign the authority letter, you are asked to take the file to the union council concerned for registration.

Group Capt (r) Saeed Nawaz Khan
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2014