Causes and Effects of Extra-Marital Relationships in Tehsil Taxila: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This study examines the causes and effects of extra-marital relationships among married couples in Tehsil Taxila, Pakistan. Through a mixed-methods approach involving a structured questionnaire (N=200) and qualitative insights, the research identifies key socio-psychological drivers including lack of emotional intimacy, unresolved conflicts, boredom, desire for novelty, and peer pressure alongside significant economic factors such as financial stress, dependency imbalances, and misuse of family resources. These interconnected vulnerabilities severely undermine marital stability, leading to the irreversible breakdown of trust, frequent separation or divorce, and profound psychological distress, with women and children disproportionately affected. The consequences extend to the community level, eroding social cohesion through stigma and division, threatening Islamic marital sanctity, and imposing wider societal costs through economic, legal, and health burdens. The findings underscore the urgent need for culturally and religiously sensitive interventions that promote emotional connectivity, financial responsibility, and adherence to Islamic values to safeguard marital harmony and family integrity in this conservative socio-cultural context.

Keywords: Extra-Marital Relationships, Marital Stability, Socio-Psychological Causes, Economic Factors, Emotional Intimacy, Tehsil Taxila, Islamic Perspective, Social Cohesion