Thousands of couples seeking to end marriages in Lahore

It is not just celebrities who have recently been calling it quits on their relationships, with thousands of divorce cases filed in Lahore courts during 2022.

During the first seven months of 2022, the courts have approved more than 6,000 divorces, while another 7,000 divorce petitions are pending before the court.

This means that daily, around 100-150 cases of divorce are being filed in the courts.

Such has been the increase in the number of cases that the courts have had a problem keeping up. As a result, seven additional courts have been set up in Lahore over the past three years to double the number of courts hearing divorce cases alone.

Common reasons given for divorce

According to court documents, most of the reasons cited when seeking divorce were daily arguments, domestic abuse and violence, and extramarital affairs.

‘Lies’ and ‘ego issues’ were also leading to a breakdown of relationships.

Court officials said that they had seen a rise in the number of divorce cases being filed. They also cited a lack of patience, especially among new couples, as many marriages less than a year old were seeking dissolution. Many weddings lasted barely three to four months.

However, religious scholar Raaghib Naeemi felt that the joint family system also contributed to rising divorce rates.

Who is to blame

Advocate Saba Sheikh, who practices in Lahore, shared that she has seen both women and men approach the courts for divorce while both claim to be victims.

On the one hand, husbands many-a-times play a major role as the culprit. Yet, at the same time, wives are equally seen as culprits for marriages falling apart.

She concurred with Naeemi, noting there have been cases where women who did not wish to live in a joint family system and wanted to live separately or had an overtly controlling nature saw their marriages fall apart.

Social media?

The lawyer further disclosed that these days, social media was contributing to the rising rate of divorces too.

She said that those who misuse social media applications, including TikTok. She said that some people, in hopes of gaining greater traction on social media platforms, create tantalizing and suggestive content, and people watching such content have come up in cases.

Heartbreak

The true heartbreak and actual victims of divorce are children.

Brought to court with little to no information on what is happening, children can be seen bawling when they learn that they will now only live with one of their parents.

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