PESHAWAR, Dec 1: The law prohibiting meals at Valima receptions is being violated in the NWFP. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has recently barred the serving of meals at wedding ceremonies.

The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government in the NWFP has not taken any action against those violating the verdict of the Supreme Court. "So far rules and regulations have not been formulated for implementing the law," officials said.

Meals are still being served in functions like Mayun, Rasm-i-Hina, Barat and Valima receptions being held in halls and restaurants in the city which are charging between Rs450 and Rs700 per person.

The Marriages (Prohibition of Ostentatious Display & Wasteful Expenses) Ordinance, 2000, was meant to curb wastage and extravagance as well as to relieve the poor segments of the society from bearing the expenses of staging high-profile ceremonies simply because these ceremonies have become the norm.

Alhaj Ayaz Khan, provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, said that the verdict of the Supreme Court, which was binding on the NWFP government, was also in concert with the policy of his government which was striving to eliminate ostentatious behaviour from society.