The divorce rate in Pakistan has reached an all-time high, according to a 2019 Survey carried out by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan.
The Survey says, 58% of Pakistanis believe that divorce rates in Pakistan have increased in the country. 2 out of every 5 Pakistanis believe that the in-laws are responsible for most of these cases, it added.
Covid-19 pandemic is also to be blamed among the reasons for the rising divorce cases in Pakistan, especially in 2020 and 2021.
According to police reports, in the first quarter of 2020 alone, 3800 divorce cases were filed in Karachi. Most recently between January to November 2021, the District Judiciary of Rawalpindi also reported 10,312 cases of divorce, khula, guardianship and maintenance. Also, 13,000 more cases are awaiting adjudication in the family courts of Rawalpindi district.
Forced marriages are another main factor apart from many others that has added to the reasons why the divorce rate is increasing in Pakistan.
Criminal and family lawyer Advocate Hamid Rashid Gondal reveals that divorce cases in the rural regions of Pakistan have especially escalated. It is mainly because forced marriages in the pressure of family honour are still significantly high.