Fact-check: Reports that unmarried couples are barred from entering Naran are false
The Mansehra Police have denied the online claims of tourists being asked to produce a marriage certificate to enter Naran
Updated Monday Oct 06 2025
Online users claim that people entering Naran, a popular tourist destination in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, are being asked to produce a marriage certificate, and that police checkpoints have been set up to enforce this rule.
The claim is untrue.
Claim
On September 27, a user on Facebook shared a graphic with the caption: “Couples without a marriage certificate denied entry in Naran; police checkpoints installed.”
The image accompanying the post showed an alleged signboard that read: “Naran: Marriage certificate required for entry.” At the time of writing, the post had received over 30,000 impressions, more than 3,600 comments, and over 1,200 shares.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, a user posted the same image and wrote: “The world’s best tourist spot in northern Pakistan, but with a condition that blocks 80% percent tourists. What a policy.”
Fact
In reality, there is no such restriction in Naran, officials confirmed.
Shafiullah Gandapur, the district police officer (DPO) in Mansehra, told Geo Fact Check over the phone that the online claims were “totally fake”, adding that tourists were welcome in the area.
Gandapur also shared a Facebook post in which the Mansehra Police clarified that the signboard circulating on social media, along with the claim that a marriage certificate is required for entry into Naran, was contrary to facts.
Caption: Facebook post by Mansehra Police denied online claims about a requirement for tourists to show a marriage certificate.
Muhammad Nadir, the assistant commissioner of tehsil Balakot, also confirmed that no such order has been issued by the Mansehra Police. He explained that police officers check vehicles as part of routine standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Verdict: The widely circulated signboard and social media posts are fabricated. Officials have clarified that tourists are not being stopped or asked to show a marriage certificate when entering Naran.
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