SC dismisses girl's petition to change surname, directs govt to legislate on issue

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday dismissed the 22-year-old Tatheer Fatima's petition to remove her father's name from the birth certificate and all of the other official documents.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heard the case.

According to Fatima, her father neither paid for her maintenance nor registered her with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) due to which her identity card could not be made.

She requested the court to add 'Bint-e-Pakistan' in place of her surname. The petitioner stated that she had no respect in society. "Everywhere I go, I am asked about my father's whereabouts," Fatima said.

The CJ in his remarks said that Assistant to the Court Makhdoom Ali Khan maintains that her surname could not be changed but the petitioner can demand personal expenditure from her father.

Khan, during the hearing, said that Fatima needs father's name on her official documents for foreign travel, and the NADRA would have to install a new software to skip name in the father's section of the applicants.

Chief Justice said that the father's name cannot be taken off under the Islamic Sharia and constitution.

Fatima's mother said that she wants her name to be put in the father's section of the petition - the chief justice replied that the act can complicate the matter of inheritance. The chief justice referred the matter to the cabinet and directed law-making on the issue.