The rate of divorce has increased by 35 per cent during the past five years

Non-fulfillment of marital responsibilities and restrictions on the wife’s have led more couples to call it quits

LAHORE:

For a nation subsumed in its obsessive adulation of matrimony, the news of divorce temporarily rings a deafening alarm bell, which sooner or later dies down into the hypnotizing beat of yet another wedding medley however, as more and more couples decide to part ways in the country’s core province, the society must pause to renegotiate the terms and conditions of its malfunctioning happily ever after.

In the back drop of rising economic uncertainty and growing unemployment, divorce rates in Punjab have observed an unprecedented surge, with thousands of couples in both arranged and love marriages calling it quits with each passing year. While unforeseen compatibility issues can be identified as the paramount instigator of divorce, fundamental flaws in the popular culture’s fanciful hype of matrimony, downplaying of marital responsibilities and illogical delineation of conjugal duties have led thousands of couples towards untying the knot, one argument at a time.

Read: Pindi sees unending surge in divorce cases
 

For instance Sania, a student, joyfully rushed her marriage with her college sweetheart but once the intangible butterflies in her belly were replaced by an unborn child, she realized that love alone could neither put food on the table nor diapers on the baby. “My ex-husband lured me into marriage by making empty promises of keeping me happy. However, reality hit me soon after marriage, when he could not even afford to manage basic household expenses. There was a dispute over the non-payment of dues every other day. Eventually, I had to file for divorce once my child was born. Now, I have taken up a job and am supporting my child alone,” revealed Sania, now a young single mother, who advised other girls to steer clear from the façade of a happy union.

According to Advocate Shafiq Ahmed Bhaoon, the rate of divorce in the country has amplified over the past few years, with dozens of cases of divorce filed on a daily basis in Punjab alone, out of which the majority were khula cases by women.

Bhaoon’s revelations were supported by data obtained from the Express Tribune which indicated that the rate of divorce had increased by approximately 35 per cent during the past five years across 36 districts of Punjab, with the provincial capital, Lahore reporting the highest ratio. Moreover, the rate of divorce initiated by women was 25 per cent higher than that filed by men.

Read: Divorce cases surge in Gujranwala

“Girl’s marriages are rushed as soon as a prospective suitor approaches, without considering the education level and career prospects of the boy. Later on, differences emerge among the couple over household management and resource allocation and the woman files for divorce. Moreover, when a woman wants to pursue her career after marriage, she receives little or no support from her husband, which creates further conflicts among the couple,” opined Dr Javed Iqbal Nadeem, a retired professor from the Department of Philosophy at the Government College University.

Dr Rizwan Aziz, a psychologist, believed that intolerance and lack of flexibility among men was another major reason behind the rising divorce rates. “In our society, women are usually expected to compromise in marriage, but men remain adamant due to which even minor quarrels break up homes. Additionally, early marriages catapult the ratio of divorce since both the partners are mentally immature,” observed Dr Rizwan, who still felt that effective couples therapy could save failing marriages.

Speaking to the Express Tribune on the matter, Director Local Government Rana Sajid Latif revealed that very few cases of divorce reached reconciliation these days. “Under the Local Government Act, a couple is given a time of 90 days to amend their differences through arbitration after which the divorce is finalized. These days the level of tolerance among couples is very low therefore marriages keep failing.”