The first half of 2025 has seen a dramatic surge in family disputes across Rawalpindi, exposing deep fissures in both the legal and cultural foundations of Pakistani society. With nearly 5,000 new family cases filed between January and June alone, the city’s 44 family courts are now grappling with a staggering 26,980 active cases — a workload that sees judges handling up to 110 cases per day.
At the heart of this crisis lies a complex blend of legal recourse, cultural shifts, and social disintegration.
Divorce on the Rise
A particularly striking figure is the 1,170 women who have sought khula (judicial divorce), marking a significant increase that experts attribute to a declining reliance on traditional mediation and a growing tendency to involve courts early in domestic conflicts. The courts have also responded to other pressing issues: 310 women secured dowry or dower payments (haq mehr), 1,069 received child support, and 121 children were returned to mothers in custody cases. However, in 27 rulings, wives were ordered to return to their husbands’ homes — a controversial decision given modern conversations around autonomy and safety.
Jirgas and Reconciliation Attempts
In a nod to tradition, courts referred 320 couples to tribal jirgas for week-long reconciliation efforts. While such practices offer a cultural safety valve, their success rate remains questionable and highlights the legal system’s struggle to balance modern rights with societal norms.
A Cross-Border Crisis
Interestingly, divorce rates are also climbing among Pakistani couples living abroad. Analysts link this to rising numbers of overseas marriages and a disconnect from traditional support systems. Cultural alienation, mismatched expectations, and lack of familial oversight are said to contribute to rising marital discord within the diaspora.
Expert Insights: Shifting Blame or Social Reflection?
Commentary from legal experts and retired judges reflects a broader societal concern. Retired Judge Shaukat Ali Sajid pointed fingers at social media, suggesting it has dismantled traditional conflict resolution by removing elders from the equation. Women, he claims, are increasingly resorting to courts over issues that once may have been resolved at home.
Advocate Kaneez Fatima cited unregulated smartphone use among young girls as a moral risk, attributing many failed marriages to digital influences and unrealistic expectations. She also noted that many love marriages fall apart once women discover their partner’s misrepresented social or financial status.
Advocate Sibtain Bukhari called for early, religion-guided marriages and warned of cases where women filing for divorce already have new partners financially backing their legal efforts — a claim that, though anecdotal, reflects a growing suspicion around the motivations behind some marital dissolutions.
A System Under Strain
With family courts stretched beyond capacity and societal norms in flux, the 2025 figures paint a sobering picture. The calls for a return to arranged marriages and cautious cross-family unions suggest a desire to regain stability, but they also signal resistance to evolving social freedoms — particularly for women.
Final Word
This sharp rise in family cases is more than just a statistical anomaly; it is a mirror to the changing face of Pakistani family life. Whether viewed as a moral decline, a necessary shift toward autonomy, or a judicial overload, one thing is clear: the family unit — once a cornerstone of Pakistani society — is undergoing a seismic transformation. The challenge now lies in adapting legal systems and social attitudes to support families, rather than simply reacting to their collapse.
