Halal ‘love match’ apps take on traditional matchmaking in Pakistan

More than 80 percent of people in Pakistan are estimated to end up in arranged marriages and many families turn to professional matchmakers, known as Rishta aunties, to help find the perfect partner. But in recent years a number of apps have appeared on the market promising to help young people find a “love match” on their own accord. The apps describe themselves as “halal”, or permissible in Islam, and many offer the option to blur profile pictures or even send transcripts of messages to a “chaperone” family member. Nevertheless, there remains a stigma over their use.