LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Thursday approved amendments to the Marriage Functions Bill, imposing strict limitations of food served at wedding and dowry.
In a provision titled “prohibition of ostentatious celebrations”, the bill restricts citizens celebrating or organising marriage from “decorating any street, road or public park or any place other than the building…with lights or illumination”.
The law also puts in place restrictions on edibles being served during weddings, even if the functions take place at the family’s residence. “A person celebrating his marriage or organising the marriage of any other person shall not serve or allow anyone to serve meals or other edibles except one dish to the persons participating in the marriage,” states the bill.
The restrictions apply to “consumption of meals within the house by the members of the family celebrating the marriage or the guests staying in the house in connection with the marriage”. Moreover, citizens will be held accountable before the law if they “explode or allow anyone to explode cracker or other explosive device including firing by firearms”, the bill states.
The Punjab Marriage Functions Bill also restricts people from “displaying fireworks or displaying dowry to the public eye and causing nuisance or disturbance to the neighbourhood”.
The violators may face one month jail or fine from Rs50,000 to Rs2,000,000.
