The Punjab government has considered reopening marriage halls in the province from the first week of September after country-wide protests by halls association against continuous closure of businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to reports, the Marriage Halls Association on Monday threatened to march towards the Chief Minister House in Karachi if they were not allowed to restart their businesses under suggested coronavirus SOPs.
Head of the Marriage Halls Association Rana Raees said that wedding halls remained closed till date due to the coronavirus spread.
“The government has allowed other businesses to reopen under devised SOPs. However they remain reluctant to allow marriage halls to operate,” he said.
He said that they had given a sample to the government to reopen marriage halls while following the SOPs.
“We have gone bankrupt due to the ongoing financial crisis amid the pandemic,” said Raees and demanded the government to allow halls to resume their work under SOPs.
He also warned that if the ban will continue then they could extend the scope of their protest and could march towards the chief minister’s house for the fulfilment of their demands.
Following the protests, the Punjab government announced that the marriage halls will be allowed to operate in the province from the first week of September if the coronavirus situation improves in the province.
Provincial Minister for Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal reached out to the protesting owners of the wedding halls outside the Punjab Assembly.
“You will be allowed to arrange wedding functions from the first week of September,” he said adding that he would meet their representatives for outsourcing functions after two days.
The protestors, however, refused to accept his offer and demanded to immediately reopen activities of the marriage halls.
