MUZAFFARGARH: The Returning Officer on Saturday asked former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar to produce her marriage certificate during the scrutiny of her nomination papers in Kot Addu for the NA-177 seat.

Returning Officer Abdur Rehman Bodla asked Khar to produce her 'nikahnama' while examining her nomination papers in which the former minister had declared that her husband Feroz Gulzar had liabilities of Rs 35 million.

Khar has agreed to provide the said document. However, bizarre questioning by ROs during the scrutiny of nomination papers throughout the country has come under severe criticism.

Khar is contesting for a National Assembly seat in Kot Addu on a Pakistan Peoples Party ticket. On Saturday, she appeared before the RO for a hearing regarding objections on her nomination. After a brief hearing, the RO reserved his decision which will be announced on Sunday, the last date of nomination papers’ scrutiny.

This follows the Election Commission of Pakistan’s directive to the ROs to refrain from ‘irrelevant’ quizzing of candidates.

The nature of questions being asked by returning officers has attracted severe criticism from media, rights activists and political parties.