Marriage ordinance ought to be enforced in letter and spirit

Islamabad
Despite availability of all the relevant laws, the situation remains grave because of their non-implementation as the society has the division between ‘haves and have-nots.’
Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in a high-level meeting that held on Wednesday at the interior ministry reprimanded senior officials of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for not acting against big-fish of corruption and fraud.
The minister pinpointed that the officials of law enforcement agencies remained hesitant about clamping down the influential elements over charges of mega scams and corruption but were quick in taking action against the poor government officials and other people over minor and negligent offences.
The minister instructed the officials to shun past practice of turning a blind eye to influential segments and said that all were equal before the law and no compromise should be made on its implementation.
Jubilant firing in the posh localities at outlets have become nuisance for the people residing in neighboring areas and they are usually found complaining over indifferent attitude of the police and city administration towards the sheer violation of marriage ordinance in the capital city and its suburbs.
Display of fireworks and aerial firing have not only become a routine during marriages but have also been made an integral part of marriage processions.
Laws and ordinances could never be fruitful till the authorities are mandated to ensure their implementation.
The issue is only equal implementation of law for the poor and the elite of the society. Police officials do not enter marriage ceremonies being held in posh sectors and localities of urban areas while on other side, marriage ceremonies being held in congested, middle and lower middle areas do not enjoy this exception. Police officials not only threaten the families in case of any minor violation but also take the bridegroom with them.
There is a long list of banquet and wedding halls in posh sectors of the capital city including in Sectors F, E and on Margala Road. The budget of weddings at these royal outlets gets in millions and all ceremonies arranged there mostly rebuff ‘Marriage Ordinance’ relating marriage-menu and jubilant firing and fireworks. But police never bother to raid at these posh banquet halls owing to fear of influence of the individuals visiting these outlets.
The government in order to discourage extravagant expenses on part of rich families on wedding ceremonies implemented ‘Marriage Ordinance’ and under this law, the government ordered to pursue marriage related functions through simplicity and limited marriage-menu to one-dish. Police were mandated to keep check on all such violations relating to exhort pomp and show on wedding functions and culture of jubilant firing and fireworks on marriage ceremonies. But all the regulations and Ordinance remained limited down to poor segments of the society and there are many instances during last a couple of months when bridegrooms were arrested on their marriage ceremony and were booked in police stations on excuses of jubilant firing, fireworks or one-dish violation. On other side there is not even a single instance when any influential or elite-class bridegroom has been booked on similar charges.
A senior police official, however, rejected this impression saying that police take action against violation of the marriage ordinance in all areas without any distinction. Talking to The News on condition of anonymity he said it is not direct responsibility of the police to monitor marriage ordinance violations and take action. These are other departments that are required to monitor such functions. Whenever the police are informed by the relevant authorities about such violations, it comes into action without any hesitation or discrimination.
He said police could not depute an official to each and every banquet and wedding hall and in residential areas of the city on the eve of marriages to monitor violation of ‘Marriage Ordinance’. The public, he said, should cooperate with them voluntarily to identify such violations.