Families, marriage hall owners in a conundrum after ban on public gathering

The government’s decision to enforce a ban on public gathering has become a source of worry for many families that had planned weddings for their loved ones. The move has also sent the services industry in panic after the closure of the wedding halls.

Wedding hall owners fear that they may incur huge financial losses after the National Security Committee announced the closure of wedding halls throughout the country for three weeks to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.

Some families have decided to hold the marriage ceremonies at home. On the other hand, the caterers have received several cancellation phone calls or were told to supply food at homes rather than marriage halls.

Refund of payments

All Karachi Marriage Halls Banquet Association President Rana Raees Ahmed told The News that the marriage hall owners have decided to refund all the advance payments they had received for marriages scheduled until April 5.

When asked whether this would cause them financial distress, he replied, “Health is wealth. The virus is damaging businesses across the world, what can we do about it.”

He added that those families who wanted their wedding events to be rescheduled would have to pay extra money for that.

Also read: Karachi: Ban imposed on public gatherings, jalsas, wedding and sports events

“Ramazan will most likely be starting from April 25, and after Eid, our hall and banquet charges will increase,” he said and explained that in case of rescheduling a wedding event to some day after Eid, the hall owners would charge more money.

A wedding hall owner in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Farhan, said he was ready to refund all advance payments.

“Refund and closure of halls for three weeks will cost us at least Rs0.4 million in loss,” he said. “What other option do we have?”

Farhan fears that marriage hall owners may face financial difficulties if the if the government extends the closure of halls.

However, another owner of a marriage hall in Gulshan-e-Iqbal refused to return the advance payments. “Till April 10, we are booked. If we return all the money, what will we be left with,” the owner remarked."

But the bear the brunt of the ban by the daily wagers who work at wedding halls.

Also read: Community transmission of coronavirus begins in Karachi

“We have staff who are paid monthly and then we also have janitors who are paid on a daily basis,” the marriage hall association president said, adding that the association will try to keep paying the daily wagers.

Rescheduling or relocating

With marriage halls getting closed, families are mulling whether to hold the wedding at their homes or reschedule the event.

Mudasser’s marriage ceremony was supposed to be held in a banquet in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, on March 22. “I have no option but to postpone my event,” he said. “It was a gathering of not less than 1000 people and I cannot gather them all at my home.” The banquet owner, he said, is ready to refund his advance payment of Rs50,000, if he cancels his event.

Fatima’s cousin was supposed to get married in a marriage hall near Karachi’s Star Gate on Saturday. “Families of the bride and groom are pondering on what to do,” she said.

“Even if we reschedule the event, we have to see what dates are available with the wedding hall owner. The cards have already been printed, it will be difficult to call every guest to inform about the change of date and venue.”

The most worrisome part for Fatima is booking for the beauty parlour. “We will have to see if the beauty parlour is ready to give us new appointment.”

Caterers in trouble

The caterers are not as affected by the closure of the wedding halls as the others because if the families relocate their events to their homes, they would just have to supply food to another location. If the event is rescheduled, they will provide food whenever it takes place.

“In either case we will have to deliver the food,” said one of the caterers in Nazimabad, Nabil Tahir.

However, there was confusion among caterers and citizens on Saturday morning as most of them thought that the ban will be effective from Monday onwards. “By the time we received cancellation order on Saturday noon, we had already started cooking food,” he said and added that they delivered all the orders at homes on Saturday.

Officials from the deputy commissioner office, according to Tahir, visited their kitchen two days back and issued guidelines regarding the coronavirus outbreak threat.

“We may end up getting orders of the kitchen shutdown,” he said expressing his fear. Since there has been a ban on all kinds of public gatherings, he pointed out that the caterers were expecting phone calls for the cancellation of orders for events other than weddings. “If the ban continues, we may end up incurring huge financial losses,” he said.

Commissioner’s order

Besides other authorities, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani has also imposed a ban on all the public gatherings, including wedding events, in the city through an administrative order.

He issued the order under the Section 2(17) of the General Clause Act-West Pakistan 1965, owing to the emergent situation with regard to the coronavirus pandemic. “I hereby impose complete ban on holding public gatherings such as weddings, processions, jalsas, majlis, Urs anniversaries, ijtimaas, sports events, etc, and all other NOCs/permissions accorded by this office or by deputy commissioner officers of Karachi division in this regard hereby stand cancelled forthwith,” the order reads.

Consequent upon the imposition of the ban, the order mentions that all meetings and functions at marriage halls, lawns, cinema halls, marquees, banquets, picnic spots, water parks, public parks, beaches, play lands, gyms and social clubs will be prohibited in the limits of the Karachi division till April 5.

Originally published in The News