Family Courts Witness Record Rise in Divorce Cases

A record number of family disputes were filed in Rawalpindi’s family courts during the first quarter of 2025, from January 1 to March 31.

According to official data, 1,451 new cases were registered, covering a range of issues, including alimony, child custody, dower (Haq Mehr), and dowry recovery.

Among these, 41 husbands approached the courts seeking legal orders for the return of estranged wives who had left the marital home.

In a notable legal shift, 21 Christian women filed for divorce—marking the first time such petitions have been processed under new legal reforms that eliminate the previously required, lengthy annulment process.

Key Court Orders (Jan–Mar 2025):

• 106 Khula-based divorce decrees were granted (wife-initiated separation)

• 310 men were ordered to pay maintenance to their wives and children

• 13 estranged couples were reunited

• 75 children were transferred from paternal to maternal custody

Court insiders revealed that 5 to 8 new family cases are filed daily, occasionally peaking at 15 to 20 cases a day.

Despite the rising disputes, courts also successfully reconciled 55 couples, resulting in case dismissals.

Experts Weigh In

Family law advocates attributed the spike in marital breakdowns to the widespread use of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, and YouTube. They believe these platforms have reshaped relationships and contributed to misunderstandings and disloyalty.

The increasing availability of smartphones among teenagers has reportedly led to a 50% rise in elopements and love marriages.

Advocate Sabtain Bukhari stressed the importance of encouraging family-arranged marriages again. While marrying outside the family isn’t inherently wrong, he said, parents must thoroughly evaluate the background and character of potential suitors.

“Many runaway marriages, based on false promises, break apart within six months to a year,” Bukhari noted.

Advocate Tayyaba Abbasi, Secretary of the Human Rights Cell, said girls should have access to mobile phones but with parental oversight. She also called for promoting education and family-approved marriages.

She highlighted that many women discover after marriage that their partners—who had claimed to be well-off or employed—are jobless or involved in criminal activity, resulting in fractured families.

Proposed Legal Reforms

Legal experts have proposed stricter regulations to deter impulsive marriages:

• Minimum dower: Rs 2.5 million for love marriages

• Monthly maintenance: Rs 15,000

• In case of divorce: Rs 500,000 compensation to the woman

They believe these measures could help stabilize family structures and reduce the rising number of broken marriages in the region.