Pindi reports spike in divorce, family case

Over 4,100 cases filed in three months as family courts see rising burden

RAWALPINDI:

A sharp increase in divorce and domestic dispute cases has been recorded in Rawalpindi during the first three months of 2026, with family courts witnessing a heavy influx of litigation.

From January 1 to March 31, a total of 4,101 family cases were filed in 45 family courts across the district. These included cases of divorce, child maintenance, dowry recovery, dower claims, and custody of children. Thirty-one Christian women also approached courts seeking divorce and maintenance.

At the same time, 65 men filed reconciliation or restitution cases against their estranged wives. During this period, courts granted 62 divorce decrees to women and handed over 29 children to mothers after retrieving them from fathers or grandparents.

Courts ordered 3,016 men to pay child maintenance, while arrest warrants were issued against 15 husbands for non-compliance. In 21 cases, reconciliation was achieved and couples were sent back home.

During the same period, 132 women reportedly left their homes across various police jurisdictions. Many of the cases involved court marriages and love marriages formed through social media platforms including YouTube, Messenger, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.

Overall, the traditional family marriage system is declining, with marriages outside family structures becoming more common and socially accepted, contributing to rising divorce rates.

Following simplification of Christian family laws, more Christian women are approaching courts as the khula system has been made easier. Previously, dissolution of marriage required annulment, a lengthy process taking several years.

Family law expert Sabtain Bukhari Advocate said that the surge in cases is linked to marriages outside family structures and concealment of facts from men. Faiza Zafar, a litigant, stated that opting for divorce was better than sustaining a household dependent on her parental family after discovering her husband was unemployed.