Are ‘Situationships’ the New Normal and Is It Actually a Bad Thing?
Once upon a time, relationships in Pakistan followed a familiar script: an introduction through family, a few chaperoned meetings, a swift engagement, and a grand wedding. Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape looks a little different. Amidst the chaos of dating apps, social media, and shifting priorities, a new relationship dynamic has taken center stage: the situationship.
A situationship exists in that hazy space between friendship and commitment, where two people share emotional intimacy, companionship, and sometimes romance, but without any formal labels. In today’s Pakistan, where tradition wrestles with modern influences daily, situationships are becoming increasingly common.
In cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, the younger generation is navigating an entirely new reality. Globalization, exposure to Western culture, and a digital-first lifestyle have opened the doors to casual dating and more fluid relationship structures. Yet societal expectations rooted in family honor, religion, and tradition still loom large. This push and pull have made situationships particularly appealing. They offer connection without the baggage of societal timelines. No pressure to get engaged by twenty-five, no awkward family introductions after a few dates. Just two people figuring things out, one moment at a time.
While situationships promise freedom, they often come at an emotional cost. Without clear boundaries or commitment, one or both individuals can be left feeling confused, insecure, or even heartbroken. In a culture like Pakistan’s, where emotional vulnerability isn’t always openly discussed, situationships can leave people silently grappling with their feelings, unsure whether they are being too much or too little. Moreover, women often bear the brunt of societal judgment. A man in a situationship might be seen as exploring his options, but a woman risks being unfairly labeled or judged for not securing a commitment.
Situationships reflect something deeper about today’s Pakistani youth: a hunger for agency over their own lives. They signal a generation refusing to be rushed into decisions by ticking biological clocks or societal whispers. They represent a reimagining of what relationships can look like, messy, uncertain, but deeply human. That said, clarity matters. Open conversations about expectations, feelings, and future plans can help situationships be less emotionally taxing. After all, wanting flexibility does not mean signing up for confusion.
Pakistan stands at an interesting crossroads. As the country’s young population, one of the largest in the world, continues to redefine love, relationships, and identity, old norms will inevitably clash with new ways of being. Situationships may not be the forever model for everyone, but they are a mirror reflecting the complexities of being young and Pakistani today, torn between tradition and modernity, between expectation and freedom.
And maybe, just maybe, that is not such a bad thing after all.