Courts flooded with divorce, khula cases | The Express Tribune
Key Takeaways
- Rawalpindi family courts received a record 1,428 divorce and khula petitions in September.
- 396 runaway girls contracted court or love marriages during the same month.
- Social media platforms are cited by lawyers as a major factor contributing to the rise in khula-based divorce petitions.
- A total of 1,814 family cases were registered in the district during September.
- Legal experts urged parents to revive traditional arranged marriages and adopt stricter monitoring to combat the surge in runaway marriages and divorces.
Rawalpindi family courts established a new judicial record in September by receiving 1,428 divorce and khula petitions, marking the first working month post-summer vacations. Official data also revealed that 396 runaway girls entered into court or love marriages during the same period across the district. A total of 1,814 family cases were registered district-wide, including guardianship matters and 210 petitions filed by husbands seeking reconciliation. Lawyers observed a sharp increase in khula-based divorces, frequently attributing this trend to the influence of social media platforms like WhatsApp and TikTok. Family law experts voiced apprehension regarding the escalating rates of both runaway marriages and subsequent divorces, advocating for a return to traditional family-arranged marriages and stricter parental monitoring to curb the surge.
