KARACHI, Nov 16: The Supreme Court’s decision of lifting ban on serving meals in valima reception last week is set to revive the business fortunes of poultry industry, marriage halls owners and caterers/decorators.

Industry people say that the decision will pave the way for some economic activities besides re-opening job avenues for thousands of people associated with these three types of activities, directly or indirectly, who had remained jobless or involved in other activities in the last few years.

The 1997 decision had played havoc with business of poultry, caterers, decorators and marriage halls, rendering a sizable number of people jobless or pushing them to cash their luck in other business avenues.

Supreme Court on November 8 held that the federal government had no power to enact a law, outlawing serving of food in valima receptions. Besides, the federal government had no powers to promulgate the Marriage (Prohibition of Wasteful Expenses) Ordinance 1997, as ultra vires to the Constitution as it was neither covered by the federal or concurrent legislative list.

The Court held that the provinces would be at liberty to promulgate any such law, fixing the number of guests and showing of dowry.

However, many people belonging to decorator and catering industry, look skeptical over Court’s decision that provinces could promulgate such laws, fearing that the ban could again come into force in future.

Marriage Hall owners are now the happiest guys who have finally succeeded in getting the ban lifted.

A marriage hall owner said, “the decision will prove beneficial for us as it will eliminate the Bhatta culture by Police besides suspending their regular patrolling.” To some extent, well to do people, desirous to arrange dinner at the halls, could also be blamed in flourishing Bhatta culture. It was pointed by market sources that people, in the last six to eight months, had started giving Rs4,000-6,000 extra to the marriage hall owners for keeping the Police away from monitoring the ceremony so that dinner could be enjoyed in a free environment.

He said that the business of marriage halls were totally collapsed and 30-40 per cent halls were either closed or indulged in other business like renting the halls for shoe sales festivals and other celebrations.

“I had to send home five out of my nine to ten workers due to lack of work in the hall,” a marriage hall owner said.

The SC’s decision will now help the hall owners to revive the business and open new job opportunities, he added.

In all this development, beverage industry may have to bear some losses.

Dawn has sought comments on the SC’s decision from the representatives of various industry people.

POULTRY: The decision of waiving ban on serving meals has come as a morale booster for the poultry sector, which has been clamouring for lifting of ban since 1997.

“Our sales had plunged by 40-45 per cent when the ban came,” central chairman, Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), Afsar Qadri said. He said many poultry farms were closed, resulting in loss of jobs.

“We expect to see an increase in sales by 15-20 per cent after Eid as soon as marriage season kicks off,” he said.

He said currently 300,000-350,000 poultry birds are being slaughtered these days in Karachi and the number will rise in the marriage season. The sale during 1997, when the ban was imposed, had plunged and only 100,000-150,000 poultry birds were being slaughtered every month in the mega city.

The current price surge has nothing to do with the lifting of ban as chicken automatically starts becoming costlier ahead of Eid. Poultry bird, which was selling at Rs48 per kg on November 6, now sells at Rs52 per kg. Egg is priced at Rs33 per dozen as compared to Rs27 on November 4.

RICE: the chairman, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Rahim Janoo says that sales will show some improvement after Eid as it is one of the main dishes in shape of ‘biryani’ at almost every receptions.

“Sales of rice had witnessed a decline of 30 per cent in 1997- 98,” he said hoping that boost in sales is in the offing.

He said that rice sales had not affected in the last seven to eight months as people had started serving meals in valimas and marriage receptions.

Taking consumption pattern of rice in the last three years, Janoo said it has remained between 2.3-2.4 million tons per annum.

He said currently domestic market of super basmati is very high due to end of old crop and not because of lifting of ban. Super basmati is now selling at Rs28 per kg in wholesale as compared to Rs26 per kg a month back. Similarly, basmati 385 is also priced at Rs26 per kg at wholesale as compared to Rs23.50 per kg.

CATERERS/DECORATORS: People belonging to this sector are very happy and looking forward to a boom in their business.

The chief executive, La Rosh Restaurant, Khurshid Ahmed, said that catering and decoration business had dropped by over 50 per cent in 1997 when the ban on serving meals came.

“Making decoration and catering arrangements for 100-150 persons is not considered feasible from business point of view. We feel satisfied in making such arrangements for 400-500 persons,” he says.

“We are now much satisfied with the Supreme Court’s decision that will help a lot in reviving our business besides paving the way for more job opportunities in various sectors associated to this trade,” Khurshid says.

MEAT: People belonging in this trade offers a different view. According to general secretary, Meat Merchants Welfare Association (MMWA), Iqbal Qureishi, “the SC’s decision will not make any significant impact as far as meat business is concerned.”

To a query why, he said when a family makes up its mind to participate in a valima reception at night, it usually decides to skip making cooking arrangement as they have to eat at Valima. It means that the family has not purchased meat on that particular day or kept the meat frozen, which was purchased earlier. This non-purchasing of meat by a family was shared by the host of valima reception who bought meat in bulk, thus balancing the situation. Almost every day, this happens.

On the other hand, the SC’s decision may not be liked by lower and upper middle class families who will have to make additional arrangements of capital to serve food on valima receptions.

A caterer said that at least Rs80,000 will be required by a family for a dinner reception of 500 people, which also includes catering and decoration expenses with only three dishes like qorma, biryani and a sweet dish.

People belonging to lower and middle income brackets had welcomed the government’s decision of 1997 of imposing ban on serving meals on receptions, saying that it would help curtail the show of wealth, sheer wastage of money and non-productive expenditure.

However the decision of 1997 could not be implemented with full force as people had started arranging dinner reception at their residence instead of marriage halls and lawns.

In the last eight months, a clear violation of ban had started at the marriage halls where dinner was served without any fear with the help of police and marriage halls owners.

Besides this practice, majority of families used to invite a selected gathering of 80-120 persons for the dinner gathering at the residence either before and after the valima reception instead of managing meals for 400-500 people.

It was seen that people had to face tremendous humiliation and social indignation—in case they failed to manage extra money for arranging grand functions with sumptuous meals. To some extent, there was a cover in shape of Ordinance for such families to avoid any lavish spending as they had to meet heavy expenditure of dowry and other formalities.

It is now up to the provincial governments to formulate their stance on this issue. In the meantime, families should now ponder over the situation and try to avoid demonstration of splendour.