COVID-19: Marriage hall association urges authorities to allow opening of wedding halls, banquets

Amid the resumption of most businesses across the country after  government eased lockdown restrictions last month, President Marriage Halls Association Rana Raees Ahmed has appealed to authorities to allow marriage halls to reopen under the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), reported  Geo News on Sunday.

Ahmed said that due to the lockdown, the business of marriage hall owners had come to a standstill leading to severe anxiety among them.

"The Marriage Hall Association has prepared a model banquet under SOPs under which chairs will be placed at a distance from the halls, disinfection gate will be installed at the main gate and guests will be served food on the table," he said.

Ahmed assured that in any case of transgression of the issued laws, the association will take adequate action against the violators.

He went on to add that with the closure of the halls, several people have lost their jobs, with 50% of the industries being affected. Stressing that with the closure of marriage halls, the trend of marriages in homes has increased, Ahmed said that the marriage halls should be allowed to resume business under SOPs as the preventive measures could be better implemented in marriage halls than at homes where keeping check balance would be difficult.

It is pertinent to mention that the government has given conditional permission to open various businesses in the country from Monday to Friday during lockdown amid the smart lockdown imposed across the country, which does not include wedding halls or banquets.