Why are divorces multiplying in Pakistan

WHY ARE DIVORCES MULTIPLYING IN PAKISTAN?

"Divorce is probably as painful as death."

Divorce is the termination of a marital union, the canceling of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and the dissolving of the bonds of matrimony between a married couple. Divorce is unlike annulment which declares the marriage null and void. Divorce laws vary considerably around the world, but in most countries it requires the sanction of a court or other authority in a legal process. The legal process of divorce may also involve issues of alimony (spousal support), child custody, child support, distribution of property, and division of debt. The only countries that do not allow divorce are the Philippines and the Vatican City.

According to the Islam, divorce is referred to as Talaq. Khula is the right of a woman in Islam to divorce or separate from her husband. The triple Talaq is a mechanism for divorce which exists in Sunni sect of Islam while rejected by the Shia sect. Talaq (conflict) deals with the relationship between religious and secular systems for terminating the marriage in the conflict of laws.

''And if you fear that the two (I.e) Husband and wife) may not be able to keep the limits ordered by ALLAH, there is no blame on either of them if she redeems herself (from marriage tie)". Surah Al Baqarah

The divorces are multiplying in Pakistan from last few years. There are multifarious reasons behind this legal but hatred endeavor.  My study is concluded that there are two major factors of the multiplication of the divorces which are TV Dramas/movies exploitation and higher education of the women or career oriented women. The other reasons are; lack of sacrifice, forced marriages, greed, joint family system, difference in social status. There are situations in which divorce is the only answer. Divorce is something which is hated by Allah, but it is allowed because there are situations where divorce is the only option. It is not beneficial to raise children in an unstable home. Divorces may take place due to lack of communication and inferiority complex where the class conflict has become obvious. Most of the lawyers acknowledge that divorce rate is increasing in middle and lower class. Experts put down the social and cultural change as the reasons for a rising number of the divorces. The TV dramas and movies reveal the image of the west culture which illustrates the message of women liberty and empowerment in the pessimistic way.  More and more women are now able to live on their own and are now fully aware of their rights so they think that we can take the divorce to spend the better life but mostly they are wide of the mark. 

It is observed and analyzed that career-oriented women are more tilting to take divorce than housewives. The forced marriages, lust, infidelity, joint family system, misunderstandings, and lack of trust, financial pressures and difference in social status as other reasons for a high divorce rate. Joint family system becomes the reason of divorce in which, Dispute with mother-in-laws in one of the example.

The divorces have multiplied to an alarming extent from last few years in Pakistan. As Pakistan is a conservative and religious state so the word "Talaq" is considered as the symbol of shame and humiliation. Previously many women who were not satisfied with their married life would not opt for divorce because of the social pressures of the society and the lack of their family support. The first thing the parents used to say when their daughter was getting married "you have to compromise in every condition and forget about your previous home".

As it is discussed that TV dramas and movies etc exploit the women and mould their thoughts to be powerful and decision makers. This perplexing dilemma leads to destroy and deteriorate their lives in such a way that they can't believe that what happened with them after getting divorce.  Women want to follow the lifestyle of modern girls as shown in television/movies etc that's why they don't compromise. Younger couples are more likely to get divorced. The young couples have more expectations from each other but reality is always different from the dreams and it's really hard to digest so at the end they have to face the problem of expectations deficit. For almost every couple the married life in start seems to be awesome, both the partners feel contented and blessed but as the time passes and they both get to know each other more precisely, the early happy moments seem to be replaced by the arguments and quarrels. When the conflicts between the couples become intolerable they decide to go for divorce.

According to our research and survey, higher education is one of the main reasons that women wants to achieve more. The working women are less willing to compromise on worst martial relationship as they are financially independent. Change in social and cultural setup has played a major role in changing people's mentality about female empowerment. The increase in divorce rate in our country is majorly due to factors like financial independence of women, lack of compromise and tolerance from both sides and egoistic attitudes. Money worries, recession and unemployment are also leading to family breakdowns. Women came to file their case along with their parents, which shows that parents support their daughter in getting divorce. Women contributing to every sector of society and they are not burden anymore. Working women who are financially strong are less willing to save their marriages and can quickly opt for divorce. When a woman is financially strong, she doesn't feel the need to compromise. Now a day's laws have been made which support women seeking divorce and the whole procedure has been made easier.

Although there has been a considerable rise in divorce in our country but the question arises that what can be done about this. The consequences of divorce are bad enough but according to some people its better to go for a divorce rather than staying in an awful marital relationship. Studies reveal that divorce has a lasting impact on one's physical and mental health. Early and forced marriages is one of the cause of married life destruction, it should be ceased as our religion too give the liberty to choose our life partner's. Marriage is an important decision of one's life and it should not be made in a hurry. Forced marriages and early marriages are a reality of Pakistan and need to be stopped

Class difference needs to be discussed here because it causes problem in long run. Therefore, it is suggested that one should marry the person similar to his class in order to avoid future conflicts. Some time joint family setup is the cause of divorce as there is less privacy and too much interference of the third party creates problems for the couple. So if they can afford they should live separately to avoid further arguments and fights. Career oriented women don't take their family life seriously and fails to fulfill their responsibilities properly and in some cases men to have same issues. When other activities get in the way of a couple's together time, the closeness they once felt can dissolve.



Divorced couples children live an unhealthy life and therefore parents should have realized that they have responsibilities towards their children. Most of the women compromise only because of their children. Sacrifice and compromise for each other is a key to a successful marriage. Hence it is concluded that mutual tolerance, compromise, patience, sacrifice make married life easier and prevent it from destruction. Couples should sort out issues on their own, rather than allowing someone else to interfere in their lives. Staying happily married is hard work and demands the utmost effort from both parents. There are ways around the trials and tribulations that come with the territory, but those that find them can live long and happy lives together.

"There is no such thing as a "broken family." Family is family, and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers, and adoption documents. Families are made in the heart. The only time family becomes null is when those ties in the heart are cut. If you cut those ties, those people are not your family. If you make those ties, those people are your family. And if you hate those ties, those people will still be your family because whatever you hate will always be with you."