KARACHI:
Within 10 days, nearly 500 divorce cases were filed in Lahore court. This demonstrated a weakening of family bonds, which may ultimately lead to the degeneration of social relationships. The actual number could be much higher as only a fraction of cases ends up in the courts. The alarming number should be a wake-up call for both the authorities and the public to do some introspection.
Conservative norms often compel families to marry their children at young ages without their consent. This often results in incompatibility and differences, which leads to separation in some cases. Most married couples spend their entire lives in unhappy or undesirable relationships due to family pressure, divorce stigma, etc. The absence of shared values and traits between partners can also cause conflict. Widespread globalisation has affected all aspects of life including marriage. Individuals are unable to differentiate between cultural values and when their marital lives are not as successful as they see in the media, they resort to separation.
Adequate counselling and coaching can help resolve most of the aforementioned issues as individuals must be informed about ways to foster lasting relations and resist emotions during a difficult situation. Families should also avoid pressuring their children into marriage without their consent and support children in their decisions.
Asad Aziz
Khushab
Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2022.
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