LAHORE, Feb 7: The Punjab Assembly on Friday enacted a law banning ostentatious displays and wasteful expenses on all marriage ceremonies.

However, the law allowed serving of one dish to a maximum of 300 guests on Walima ceremonies.

Law minister Raja Mohammad Basharat said there would be a complete ban on fireworks while illuminations would be allowed only at the house where the wedding ceremony was held.

He said meals had been allowed at Walima in respect of the Sunnat. He assured the opposition that they would be consulted while framing rules for implementing the law.

Accepting a suggestion made by opposition benches, the house voted out Clause 6 of the Punjab Marriages Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays and Wasteful Expenses) Bill 2003, which would have required of the families of bride and groom to inform their union councils about the place, venue and number of guests 10 days before the wedding ceremony.

Acting opposition leader Rana Sanaullah Khan also urged the treasury benches to adopt the law introduced by the PML-N government, which had banned meals on wedding ceremonies. He said the amendments being incorporated into it were not meaningful.

He also urged law minister Raja Mohammad Basharat to amend Clause 7, under which implementation committees would be formed at union council, Tehsil and district levels.

He suggested that to avoid overlapping of jurisdiction, only one committee should be established at union council, Tehsil or district level.

He feared that presence of police at Walima ceremony to count the number of guests would be a cause of embarrassment for the hosts.

MMA’s Arshad Baggu opposed the part of bill that allowed a one-dish meal to 300 guests at Walima. He believed that it would open a back door for violation of the law.

The house also adopted the Bank of Punjab (First Amendment) Bill 2003, substituting the word “Governor” by the word “Government” in Section 10/2 of Bank of Punjab (First amendment) Ordinance 2002.

The session had been delayed by almost half an hour due to lack of quorum in the morning.