Divorce cases drive up parent-child meetings

The Rawalpindi district courts are witnessing a significant rise in parent-child meetings, largely due to the alarming increase in divorce cases.

These meetings, once held bi-weekly, have now become a daily occurrence, with 25 to 37 families arriving at the judicial complex each day to see their children.

Previously, under family court orders, visits were limited to twice a week. However, the growing number of divorces has pushed the need for more frequent meetings. Approximately half of the children involved in these cases are in the custody of their mothers, while the remaining are living with their fathers, grandparents, or other relatives. In some cases, one of the parents may be incarcerated in Adiala Jail due to criminal proceedings, such as murder cases.

Each family is allowed to meet with their children for a period of one to two hours. However, it is reported that families who offer bribes can extend these meetings to up to three hours. These encounters often feature heart-wrenching scenes, as separated parents try to reconnect with their children during the short time they have together.

Parents often bring gifts to these meetings in an effort to bond with their children. Items such as clothes, shoes, bicycles, toys, and even electronics like mobile phones are commonly gifted. Additionally, parents come with snacks like sweets, pizza, fruits, juices, ice cream, and various local snacks such as nimko and Lays. In many cases, extended family members like aunts and uncles also accompany the parents for these visits.

Most parents who attend these meetings have been separated from their children for three to five years, and under current arrangements, such meetings occur once a week. The District Judiciary has set up a Family Facilitation Centre to streamline these meetings. This center accommodates up to 15 families at a time, each with a scheduled one-hour visit.

To ensure security and proper record-keeping, a court order copy, ID numbers, and names of visitors are registered, with court staff and police officers present at the facility.

The rise in divorce cases has put immense pressure on the judicial system and the affected families. Sohail Akbar, a father who visits his two children once a month, shared his painful experience. After divorcing due to domestic disputes, his children are now living with their mother, while he has remarried. He visits his children along with their grandmother and paternal aunt. "It's a very painful process. Now I regret my decision to divorce. I often think, why did I make that decision?" he said.

Another visitor, Faiz Akbar, expressed similar sentiments, advising families to avoid the path of separation. "It is better to endure a few moments of anger than to go through years of regret. After my experience, I urge couples whose family cases are pending to consider reconciliation. Try to settle your issues, or you may end up regretting it like me after two or three years," he said.