Record Surge in Khula Cases: Over 5,500 Filings in Lahore Family Courts in Nine Months

A significant and rapid rise in divorce cases is being recorded across Pakistan, with Lahore at the forefront of this trend. According to recent data, the first nine months of 2025 have seen a record number of women seeking to dissolve their marriages through khula.

In Lahore’s family courts alone, more than 5,500 women filed for khula between January and September of this year. This is part of a broader five-year trend that has seen divorce and khula cases increase by a staggering 35%.

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This isn’t just a big-city phenomenon. Cities like Faisalabad and Rawalpindi follow Lahore, showing this is a widespread shift across Punjab. The numbers from local union councils are even more revealing, with the annual issuance of khula certificates rising from 11,000 in 2021 to over 16,000 in 2024.

So, what is driving this sharp increase? Social and legal experts point to several key factors:

• Interference from in-laws
• Financial instability
• Domestic violence
• Lack of communication
• The growing influence of social media and Western lifestyles

In court, many women have stated that due to domestic violence and mental torture, it has become impossible for them to continue their marriage, making khula their only recourse.

While the legal process for khula is straightforward—filing a petition in family court, a mandatory reconciliation effort, and then the judge’s decree—there is a major bottleneck. Even after a court grants khula, women often wait for months to receive the official certificate from their local union council, which is needed to finalize the separation legally.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the difference between Talaq and Khula?
In Pakistani law, Talaq is the right of a husband to divorce his wife, while Khula is the right of a wife to seek a divorce from her husband through a family court by forgoing her financial right (dower).

2. Why are Khula cases increasing so rapidly?
The main reasons cited by experts include growing family interference, domestic violence, financial pressures, and increased awareness among women about their legal rights, giving them the confidence to leave abusive or unhappy marriages.

3. What is the legal process for obtaining Khula?
A woman files a petition in the family court. The judge attempts reconciliation between the spouses. If reconciliation fails, the judge issues a decree for khula. This decree is then sent to the relevant union council, which issues a khula certificate after a 90-day waiting period (iddat).

4. Why is there a delay in getting the Khula certificate?
The delay happens at the union council level. Despite a court order, the council follows a procedure of sending monthly notices to the husband for 90 days. This bureaucratic process, even though 95% of husbands do not respond, causes significant delays for women.

5. Is this trend only in urban areas like Lahore?
No, while Lahore has the highest number of cases, the data shows a substantial increase in other major cities like Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, indicating it is a widespread societal shift across the province.