KARACHI, Feb 16: Until late last year, weddings in Pakistan were supposed to be an austere affair. Meals at weddings were banned.

But in November the Supreme Court lifted a six-year nationwide prohibition on wedding feasts, and livestock farmers are happy.

The government of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif imposed the ban to discourage lavish expenditure, and to save the poor from bearing the burden of costly feast.

The number of guests plummeted, caterers and wedding halls saw their profits drop and demand for chicken fell.

But now marriage halls have turned their lights on and most are doing a roaring business.

“We were almost ruined because of the ban, but now we are witnessing the revival of our business,” said a caterer and owner of a marriage hall in Karachi.

“The lifting of the ban has opened up job opportunities.”

He estimates catering activity has increased by 25 per cent since the ban was lifted.

Under the ban, the families of brides and bridegrooms were restricted to serving only tea or soft drinks to guests. Many invitees stayed away, he said.

Now the trend has reversed.

“Since we’ve begun serving various meats at wedding parties, around 90 per cent of invitees are turning up, compared with 45 per cent in the days of the ban,” he said.

The Asian Development Bank has hailed the lifting of the ban.

In its quarterly report on Pakistan’s economy released in January, it listed the lifting of the ban as a factor “boosting domestic economic activity” to push growth above this year’s projected target of 4.5 per cent.

“Prospects of realizing and possibly surpassing the government’s projected growth rate of 4.5 per cent in the financial year 2003 are quite bright,” the ADB report said.

“Both supply and demand factors are expected to boost domestic economic activity.”

Economists say livestock production, already up, is set for an extra boost.

“Demand for meat has already been on the rise and the lifting of the ban on wedding meal will further augment it,” said an agronomist at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute.

In the financial year ending June 2002, livestock and poultry production grew 3.4 per cent, compared with 4.9 per cent in the previous year. Its overall share of agricultural output increased to 38.4 per cent in 2002 from 37.7 per cent in 2001 and 28 per cent 10 years earlier.

Poultry production increased to 330 million from 315.6m during the same period.

Accounting for 24.1 per cent of GDP, agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and livestock is set to experience significant growth, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.

But while guests fill their plates at weddings in three of the four provinces, those invited to weddings in Punjab are not so lucky. But things are different in Punjab where the ban has not entirely been lifted, and only one-dish feast at wedding is allowed. — AFP