Divorce Rate In Pakistan

Divorce Rate Ratios Are Increasing In Pakistan But Why! It Must Be Addressed Before It Gets Too ​Late

In Pakistan, where 97 percent of people follow the Islamic religion, marriage is considered a sacred event. Islam teaches all Muslims to build relationships or, in the case of differences, to rebuild relationships between husband and wife. Nevertheless, the increasing number of divorces in Pakistan is an alarming situation because the Pakistani family system is stronger than in Western and other countries. The Pakistani family system consists of a joint family system where the parents take a close eye on their children’s relationships and issues. That is why in Pakistan, the increasing number of divorce rates is alarming and dangerous.

In recent research conducted by Pakistan’s Human Rights commission in one of the districts, the rate of divorce was higher in love marriages. It was surprising, but the success rate of love marriages is lower than that of arranged marriages.Many experts agree that the main causes of the high divorce rate in love marriages are unrealistic expectations and hopes.On the other hand, the public thinks that the chances of divorce are higher in arranged marriages because both parties are forcefully engaged in living.

But here, we must put some light on the most common causes of leading divorces in Pakistan and also their ramifications. Without discussing these core aspects, we cannot reach a conclusion related to the subject.

Family And Friends Interference In Marital Affairs:
If men and women are facing some sort of issues and challenges in their marriage, most people in close social circles think of it as their duty to step in for good. Though it’s a healthy practice because sometimes it works for relationships, mostly it fails because too much involvement or interference is not a good thing as it sometimes causes further harm. This entails harsh words, wrong and wrong advice to the couple, which ultimately results in divorce. It is a common issue that husband’s sisters/mother try to stick their noses in couples’ relationships, and in the end, sometimes it ends in divorce or separation. That is why in a country like Pakistan, people must have to leave couples on their own. Then things will not mess up the husband and wife relationship. The reason is that everyone knows better about their personal matters than others, and, as mentioned above, people are now educated and intelligent. So, they will sort out something to save their relationships for better future.

Financial Condition Is The Reason for Rising Divorce Rate:
In Pakistan, the average salary is not sufficient for a man to tame his wife and children, therefore it plays a promiscuous part in rising divorces. Also, in our country, 70 percent or more of the time, the man is the only breadwinner of the family. That is why, for a single person, it gets harder to tame 4 to 5 children while bearing other expenses. Common claims which women make against men are that they don’t fulfill the wife’s wishes and wants, which ultimately cause divorce. If the woman is not used to such middle class economic challenges, then she seeks divorce or separation from her husband. But if the woman starts a job or business, then it leads to other ramifications or reasons in response to the divorce. Therefore, the financial muscle of the man must be strong in the relationship.

Lack Of Trust Deficit And Infidelity:
In this era of Pakistan, mostly men and women work in offices to pay bills for households. Long hours in offices lead to a lack of trust among couples, which is the basis for every relationship, especially in marriage. Without trust and respect, no relationship can survive. Also, some married couples adopt istekhara, but it does not always work well for them. In the absence of confidence and lack of trust, couples move to divorce or separation, which is harmful. Some people think that if a woman is working in an office, it means her character is not good, and this category belongs to the lower class, not the upper and middle class group. Therefore, if lower class people get married to working women, they start to think that she spends most of her time in the office, which means she has an affair with the boss or with staff. Ultimately, this leads to a divorce between the couple. So, trust and confidence are the keys to a successful marital relationship.

Love And Forced Marriages (Both Causing The Divorces):
In Islam, parents must ask a girl about her will at the time of Nikah. According to the report of Pakistan’s statistical department, those arranged marriages in which the boy and girl agree that they have the highest chance of success. But those marriages in which both boys and girls were forced to get married have the highest divorce ratios. Such marriages do not last long because the boy or girl has their heart elsewhere, and this affects the marriage negatively, which ultimately causes divorce. Therefore, Islam forces every parent to ask a boy or girl before committing them to each other, so such incidents like divorce wouldn’t happen. Apart from forced marriages, love marriages also have many consequences in terms of divorce. Love marriages have no greater success record in Pakistan than arranged marriages. According to social experts, the biggest reason for the failure of love marriages is unrealistic promises and expectations of each other, which is not possible. That is why the divorce ratio is increasing in Pakistan because most people tend to love marriages and can’t keep promises or expectations from one another.

Other Consequences And Domestic Issues Cause By Divorce:
It must be understood that divorce is not a game and also, it cannot be considered for only the couple. Divorce does not only end the relationship between husband and wife, but it also ends the family. When we consider the ramifications of divorce, then it must be noted that more than a couple, it is the kids who suffer most. The reason is that, after a divorce, kids have to stay either with their mother or father, which ends their golden childhood period. Interestingly, it has been seen that with the passage of time, both husband and wife realise their mistakes, but it becomes too late to think. At that time, they try to fix their marital relationship for the sake of their children, which is not attractive and effective. However, the divorce rate can be stopped if couples try to fix their own issues by themselves. Therefore, husband and wife need to improve their understanding. If one gets forcefully married, then they must forget all things and start trying to live with that person whom they have chosen, because that’s what Islam teaches us. In our religion, building relationships is encouraged, but on the other hand, separation or divorce is not a likeable practice. Also, as per the above mentioned, the whole family system gets disturbed due to divorces, especially the children’s future. So, that is why couples should try to forgive and forget each other’s mistakes and build understanding among themselves. With this, the increasing number of divorces in Pakistan will slow down or even stop for a while.

Tags: divorce, family laws, family state, islam, islamic democratic state, islamic state, marriage, men, Muslim women, pakistan, pakistan corruption, pakistani culture, women respect, women rights

Category: Social