Divorced parents meet separated children

RAWALPINDI:

With the second Ashra of Ramazan underway, a significant increase in divorce cases across the district has led to the commencement of special pre-Eid meetings between separated parents and their children.

With permission from family judges, 30 to 45 divorced couples are being facilitated daily at the special Family Facilitation Centre at the Rawalpindi Judicial Complex, where each meeting lasts one hour. Parents arrive with Eid gifts including garments, shoes, juices, glasses, bicycles, sweets, pizza, mobile phones, toys, and cash Eidi for their children.

Extended family members often accompany the children.

Emotional scenes are witnessed as parents hand over gift packs, their eyes brimming with tears. These meetings are being held daily and will continue until the court holidays for Eid.

Divorced parents expressed sorrow over the situation, saying it would have been better to tolerate disputes rather than end up in prolonged family cases. Faisal Aziz said he has two children. "We divorced after six years of marriage due to prolonged domestic disputes. The children live with my former wife. I pay monthly maintenance under court orders. Today I brought Eid clothes and gifts. Standing in line is painful. I meet my children every two to three months," he said.

The in-charge of the Family Facilitation Centre said that during Ramadan, meetings are being held daily, with each family given one hour. Ten to fifteen families can meet their children simultaneously.