How families look for a rishta in Pakistan today
Most families now use several routes at once: relatives and community elders, a marriage bureau, WhatsApp groups, and at least one matrimonial site. Each has strengths. Relatives know families well but know only a small circle. Bureaus can be personal but are often expensive and unverifiable. WhatsApp groups are fast and completely unmoderated — phone numbers and photographs circulate among thousands of strangers.
An online matrimonial site works best when it keeps the good parts of the traditional route: families involved, background known, conversations respectful. That is what RishteDesk is built around.
Search across Pakistan, city by city
Many families want someone from the same city; many are equally happy to look further when the family and the person are right. You can search by city and province, and each major city has its own page describing how families there tend to search.
- Rishta in Karachi
- Rishta in Lahore
- Rishta in Islamabad
- Rishta in Rawalpindi
- Rishta in Faisalabad
- Rishta in Multan
- Rishta in Peshawar
- Rishta in Hyderabad
By province: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
For families of every faith
Pakistan's families are Sunni and Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Ahmadi, Parsi and more, and each has its own expectations about marriage. On RishteDesk you choose your religion and, where relevant, your sect or denomination, and you decide how important it is that a match shares it. Nobody sees a profile they have ruled out, and nobody is shown to people they have ruled out.
Overseas Pakistani families
A large share of rishtas now involve someone abroad — in the UK, the USA, Canada, the Gulf or Europe. RishteDesk is built for both sides of that search: families in Pakistan can look for someone overseas, and families abroad can look for someone in Pakistan, with prices shown in dollars, pounds or rupees. Read more on our overseas Pakistani matrimony page and in our guide on what to agree before the nikah.
What makes a rishta site safe
- Every profile reviewed by a person before it appears.
- Phone numbers and emails never shown, and removed automatically from messages.
- Conversations only after both sides accept an interest.
- Voice and video calls inside the app, without sharing numbers.
- A wali or family member can take part openly in any conversation.
- Profiles are never shown to search engines — this page is indexed; members are not.
Before saying yes to any proposal, from any source, use our rishta verification checklist, and learn the five signs of a rishta scam.
Getting started
Creating a profile is free. Fill in seven short sections — about you, faith, education and work, family, lifestyle, your own words, and what you are looking for — in any order. Nothing is visible until you submit it and a person has reviewed it. If a parent is managing the search, they can create the profile, or you can invite them into your family circle and decide exactly what they can see. Our guide to writing a matrimonial profile has a worked example.
How RishteDesk is different from a marriage bureau
Many families have used a marriage bureau, and a good one offers genuinely personal attention. Many others charge large fees in advance, cannot verify the families they introduce, and share your details with anyone who asks. RishteDesk works differently: creating a profile is free, every profile is read by a person before it appears, your contact details are never shown, and you decide who sees your photographs. You search yourself — or your family does — rather than waiting for someone else to choose.
Tips for a successful rishta search
- Agree as a family on your non-negotiables before you begin.
- Write a specific, honest profile; our profile example shows how.
- Keep photographs restricted until a conversation is going well.
- Use questions to ask in a rishta meeting to structure early conversations.
- Check every proposal the same way, whatever its source.
- Involve family early — it is the best protection against fraud.
سوال
Is RishteDesk free to use in Pakistan?
Yes. Creating a profile, being reviewed and searching are free, and during our launch every Premium feature is free as well. A free profile always stays free.
Can parents create a profile for their son or daughter?
Yes. A parent or relative can create and manage a profile, and the profile says so. Alternatively the person can manage their own profile and invite family to take part.
Will my phone number be shared?
No. Phone numbers and email addresses are never shown to other members, and they are removed automatically if someone types them into a message.
Is RishteDesk only for Muslims?
No. Muslim families are the majority, and RishteDesk is for Pakistani families of every faith. You choose how important a shared religion and sect is in your own search.