Divorced parents reunite with children

Parents bring Eid gifts, clothes, toys and food for children

RAWALPINDI:

In the spirit of Eidul Azha celebrations, 112 divorced couples were granted special meetings with their separated children at the Family Facilitation Centre on Saturday under special directives issued by family court judges.

During the emotional reunions, parents presented Eid gifts to their children, including cash, festive clothing, shoes, spectacles, toys, earrings for young girls, watches, dolls and dozens of other presents. Many parents also brought pizza, burgers, shawarmas, juices and soft drinks for the children.

Overcome with emotion, parents embraced their children tightly, showering them with kisses through tears while reminiscing about happier times from the past.

The reunions were attended not only by parents and children, but also by extended family members including maternal and paternal uncles and aunts, grandparents and other close relatives.

Each special Eid meeting lasted between 30 and 40 minutes. Authorities confirmed that on Monday (May 25), the final round of pre-Eid reunions between divorced parents and their children will take place.

Officials stated that the alarming rise in divorce cases across Rawalpindi district has significantly increased the number of parents seeking visitation rights with separated children.

Owing to the growing caseload, such meetings - which previously took place only three or four days a month some three to four years ago - are now held throughout the week on a daily basis.

On average, between 30 and 40 divorced couples now attend the visitation sessions each day. Speaking during the visit, Chaudhry Ashfaq described the reunion day as "extremely painful".

"One cannot sleep the night before," he said. "We arrive at the courts early in the morning, but there is immense hardship here. The weather is extremely hot these days, and families are forced to wait for long periods in scorching sunlight. It often takes one to two hours before our turn comes."

He complained about the lack of drinking water and the absence of a properly ventilated and shaded waiting area, adding that conditions become even more difficult during rainfall.