LAHORE: The Punjab Marriage Halls Association has filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court, challenging the new restrictions on indoor functions after the increase in the cases of Omicron, the new variant of Covid-19.

The petition says that the decision of the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) to ban indoor wedding functions is discriminatory. It argues that educational institutions, transport service and other activities have been allowed to continue as usual but the industry of marriage halls has been subjected to discriminatory action.

The petition contends that the industry has already suffered huge financial losses due to the pandemic-related restrictions imposed by the government in the past. It pleads that the industry of banquet/marriage halls cannot sustain any further losses.

It requested the court to set aside the impugned notification issued by the NCOC.

On Jan 19, the NCOC had banned indoor gatherings, weddings and dining in districts and cities where the Covid-19 positivity rate was beyond 10pc as a part of new curbs meant to tackle the fifth wave of the pandemic.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2022