The Hindu : International : Pakistan court upholds guest control law

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004

International

International

Pakistan court upholds guest control law

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 6. The Pakistan Supreme Court has banned serving of meals at hotels, clubs and marriage halls for marriage ceremonies. The court has said no meal or edibles other than hot and cold drinks could be served to guests.The court has upheld a union government ordinance and struck down the Punjab Assembly Act of serving one dish on the eve of marriage and `Walima' (wedding ceremony). The basic objective of the union government's ordinance was to curb ostentatious expenditure and give relief to poor people.

Section 4 of the ordinance states that no person celebrating his or the marriage of any other person, shall serve or allow any one to serve meals or other edibles to persons participating in the marriage in a club, hotel, restaurant, wedding hall, community centre or any other place except hot and cold soft drinks. At the same time, it allowed eating of meals within the house by members of the family celebrating the marriage or the houseguests.

Section 5 of the same ordinance applies to those running hotels and restaurants. "No person owning or running a hotel, restaurant, wedding hall, community centre or club being the site of marriage ceremony or any caterer shall serve or allow anyone to serve any meal or edibles to the persons participating in the marriage ceremony other than hot and cold soft drinks.

The decision dismissed the Punjab Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays and Wasteful Expenses) Act 2003, which allowed one dish food to 300 persons. The ordinance also prohibited a person from decoration of any house or building, including any space, illumination of street or other place, use of crackers or allow any one to display fireworks.

Regarding some customs being observed on marriages, the judgment said: "The lower, middle and poor classes of society are being crushed under the evils of extravagance and ostentatious displays of wealth."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

`Bush must help resolve political disputes'

Qurei meets militant leaders in Gaza

Blair faces wrath over soldiers' death

Dalai Lama to visit Russia

Pakistan court upholds guest control law

Afghan youths swap guns for gym

Chandrika congratulates Bush

Democrats come to grips with bitter reality

Blackwill quits as Bush adviser

Four Buddhists killed; Thaksin vows crackdown

French forces shoot down Ivorian aircraft

No regional assemblies for U.K.

Meeting venue irks France

Roh, Bush to strive for talks on nuclear issue

A `Hinglish' play in Singapore