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.