On the second day of Eidul Fitr, Sunday, special meetings between divorced parents and their estranged children were arranged at the Judicial Complex Facilitation Centre, with the permission of the Senior Civil Judge Rawalpindi. A total of 134 divorced couples attended the sessions to meet their children. Extended family members – including grandparents and close relatives – were also present on the occasion. The children, dressed in festive attire, arrived eager to reunite with their separated parents. The mood was deeply emotional, with many poignant scenes throughout the day. Mothers embraced their children with overwhelming affection, while some were seen kissing them repeatedly and feeding them with their own hands. The children received generous Eidi in the form of cash, clothes, shoes and gifts as well as refreshments like pizza, juice, cake and ice cream. Moments of joy were evident as families took selfies together during the reunions. Pursuant to agreements under the judge’s directives, the meetings began at 10.00 and continued until 3 p.m. Despite the public holiday, the facilitation center was specially opened to accommodate the gatherings. Tight security measures were in place, with a significant police presence deployed to ensure order. Several children, including Kashif, Naina and Ferguson, expressed their joy and said they were happy to meet their parents and relatives and receive gifts on Eid. Officials also noted a worrying trend, observing that marriages originating from social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook in recent years have coincided with a significant rise in divorce rates. Families flock to cemeteries Early on Eid day, families visited cemeteries across the city to offer prayers and floral tributes to their departed loved ones. People placed flowers, chadar and incense on graves while reciting the Holy Quran, often with tears in their eyes. This continued from morning to night across 55 cemeteries in the city. After Fajr prayers, families arrived in large numbers, causing severe traffic jams on roads, streets and paths leading to cemeteries. Vehicles, motorcycles and rickshaws crowded the routes and brought traffic to a standstill. Meanwhile, the prices of flowers and chadar witnessed a steep rise. Mixed flowers were sold at Rs 500 per kg, while fresh flowers reached Rs 600 per kg. Dry flower sheets ranged between Rs700 and Rs1,500, while fresh flower chadars were sold between Rs1,000 and Rs2,000. Hundreds of stalls selling flowers, incense and chadars were set up outside graveyards and will remain in operation for the three days of Eid.
Eid brings hope to broken households
