K-P mulls reopening wedding halls

CM directs formulation of SOPs

PESHAWAR: The provincial government is considering proposals to allow wedding halls to reopen in the province and the provincial chief executive on Tuesday directed officials to draft a set of guidelines for the purpose.

This was directed as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday met with representatives of the K-P Wedding Halls Association (K-PWHA).

The chief minister also directed to create a panel to be headed by provincial minister Sultan Khan to draft a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the possible reopening of wedding halls.

These SOPs will be presented in the upcoming National Coordination Committee (NCC) for consultation after which the government will decide.

CM Mahmood said that the provincial government is taking steps beyond its means to provide maximum relief to all economic sectors affected by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The chief minister said that in the budget of the upcoming financial year, the provincial government had given the maximum possible relief to all the sectors including the wedding halls industries in provincial taxes.

The representatives of wedding halls said their businesses have been hard-hit by the virus situation. They said that along with reopening wedding halls, they should also be given relief in electricity bills as has been extended to other businesses.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2020.