Rawalpindi sees increase in couples choosing 'free will marriages'

Rawalpindi district family courts recorded a surge in 'free will marriages' in the first half of 2024, indicating a rise in young couples choosing marriages outside family arrangements.

The district's family courts are grappling with a huge backlog of familial cases.

Out of 6,935 cases filed between June 1 and June 30, the court issued 3,718 divorce decrees and ordered 61 women to reconcile with their husbands, according to a report published in the Express Tribune.

Around 189 husbands filed lawsuits to mend their relationships with their estranged wives.

The courts facilitated the return of 174 children to their mothers after the fathers had taken them away. In 115 cases, courts ordered husbands to provide maintenance expenses to the wives for their financial needs.

According to court records, around 561 women chose to marry outside of traditional family arrangements and formalised their unions in courts.

The first half of 2024 saw a 10% to 12% increase in the number of couples choosing to marry outside of family arrangements.

There are 12,000 pending familial cases, with each family court judge dealing with 50 to 65 cases daily.

While speaking to the newspaper, the Punjab Bar Council's Human Rights Committee Chairman, Advocate Asad Abbasi emphasised the importance of parental guidance for children when making life-altering decisions like marriage.

He maintained that marriages built on false promises are unlikely to succeed.