Over 317 couples break free in courts this month

Family lawyers see alarming rise in divorce rates

RAWALPINDI: As many as 317 coupled took the path to splitsville ending their marriages in divorce cases this month only family courts of Rawalpindi reopened after summer break on September 2.

According to the figures for September only, family courts across the district have thus far issued 11 certificates of marriage dissolution on the basis of ‘khula’ to women, while some 74 cases have been filed by husbands for resolution of disputes with their wives.

Family lawyers told The Express Tribune that there has been a spike in the trend of divorces during ongoing year. Family courts have so far received mammoth 2,781 applications pertaining to divorces while, citing figures, lawyers said around 95 per cent resulted in dissolution of marriages.

The remaining percentage resulted in compromise between the couples on the instance however it has also been noted that the same couples returned to courts again fighting after some time.

Further, some 23 women, married and unmarried, sought shelter in Darul Amaan from their families during the period of 26 days of September, while some 31 cases were reported where women including students and young girls ran away from their homes for different reasons.

The Express Tribune took comments of law experts regarding rising trend of divorces in the society.  The advocates including Syed Masood Shah, Sameena Bukhari, Asad Abbasi were of the view that most of divorce cases were filed by couples who had either eloped or consented to free-will marriage or court marriage.

The experts of family law said most of so called ‘love marriages’ are built on false narratives and hollow promises which unfold soon after marriage. Though, they never promised them the moon, both men and women show a very different face during the courtship, but once exposed after tying the knot, the fall out of love.

Moreover, parents of either side are also supportive of divorces in such cases.

The divorce law has been made very easy now to the point that a simple ‘I don’t want to live with him’ is enough ground for a woman to make the case for dissolving the holy matrimony.

However, the advocates claimed that rate of divorce in arranged marriages was way far less with a healthy ratio of compromise during adjudication.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2019.