Pindi sees dramatic rise in divorce cases

Courts granted 2,393 divorces in first six months

RAWALPINDI:

A surge in cases of divorce, family disputes, and domestic violence has been observed in the Rawalpindi division as per the data recorded between January 1st and June 30th, 2023.

The increasing influence of social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and messaging apps is believed to be contributing to the trend.

According to available data, a total of 5,804 family cases were registered in Rawalpindi's family courts during the first half of the year. Among these cases, 210 husbands sought reconciliation after their wives had left home due to family disputes.

In the same period, the courts sanctioned 2,393 divorces, with 78 women being instructed to return to their husbands.

Additionally, custody of 231 children, previously with their fathers, was granted to their mothers. Moreover, family courts ordered the provision of dowry items, Haq Mehr (a mandatory gift from the husband to his wife), and expenses for 1,018 women.

Around 571 girls pursued court and love marriages after leaving their homes within the last six months, the data revealed. Currently, there are 9,500 pending family cases in Rawalpindi's family courts, with each judge handling an average of 50 to 70 cases per day.

The escalating number of divorce filings by men and women's claims for divorce indicates an alarming deterioration of the family system. Marriages outside the immediate family unit have seen an 80 per cent increase.

Tayyaba Abbasi, an advocate and secretary of the Human Rights Association, expressed concern that if the destruction of the family system through social media remains unchecked, the divorce rate will escalate dramatically.

Zaib Faiz, a family case expert and advocate, highlighted the detrimental impact of mismatched marriages on the family system.

Young girls, exposed to mobile phones and the internet at a tender age, are particularly vulnerable to negative influences, he said adding that in the case of love marriages, trivial issues are blown out of proportion, and impulsive youth resort to issuing threats to their families before rushing to family courts.

Upon the submission of a divorce request by women, divorces are granted immediately, he added.

Masood Shah, another advocate, stated that social media is wreaking havoc on the younger generation. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and messaging apps, are largely responsible for 90 per cent of love marriages and court marriages.

Those providing internet access to their children must exercise greater scrutiny, he said and added that parents or siblings should arrange transportation for daughters and sisters attending educational or vocational training centers.

A nineteen-year-old girl, desiring a divorce, shared her experience, saying, "I am a resident of Rawalpindi. My husband is from Jhelum, and we connected through TikTok. I was captivated by his pictures showcasing expensive motorcycles, and agricultural land.”

However, after our love marriage, I was shocked to learn that he works at a car wash. The pictures he took were of vehicles that came to the service station, he said. Therefore, I wish to divorce him and seek my parents' consent for a subsequent marriage, she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2023.