In Pakistan, a married man must obtain written permission from the Arbitration Council before a second marriage; without it, the second marriage is illegal under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961. If the second nikah is not officially registered with the Union Council or NADRA, he can falsely appear “single” on records and a second wife may not show in any database. Verification can be attempted by requesting a Family Registration Certificate (FRC) from NADRA or checking nikah‑nama records a