Weddings ‘safehouse’ sealed for SOPs violations

Owners were renting out premises for parties amid lockdown

KARACHI:

The East district administration sealed a house in Gulistan-e-Johar, where a marriage ceremony was being held in violation of coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Gulshan-e-Iqbal Assistant Commissioner Ghulam Mohiuddin said that he had received a complaint from the management of a housing society that a marriage ceremony was going on in a residential area during the lockdown that is in place till August 8.

Residents of the area also said that celebrations have been held in this plot recently, with bookings being scheduled through Facebook.

With marriage halls and marquees shut due to the lockdown imposed by the Sindh government to contain the fourth wave of the pandemic, people have started arranging marriages covertly at houses rented out for a day.

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Mostly, the caterers arrange the safehouse against a sum equal to that of a marriage hall, officials said.

One such house was raided and sealed on the complaint of area residents on Thursday.

Despite the lockdown imposed by the Sindh government to control the spread of Covid-19, a wedding ceremony was going on during the day at Latifi Cooperative Housing Society in Gulistan-e-Johar Block-17 area of Karachi.

Residents of the locality protested against the violation of coronavirus SOPs and pushed the management of the housing society to stop the function.

An argument between the host and housing society management caused a ruckus and the guests started to leave in panic. Meanwhile, some people called the police and rang up the Sindh Rangers helpline as well.

As the contingent of armed law enforcers rolled in, there was a stampede at the party, which according to the area residents was an ‘illegal marriage ceremony’ because it posed the risk of contributing to the spread of the virus. The owners of the said house were minting money by renting out their premises in two shifts to people holding large wedding parties, oblivious of the threat of spreading Covid-19, said officials.

Amid the ruckus, Mohiuddin also reached the site and issued orders to seal the premises.

Earlier this week reports had surfaced of a wedding ceremony being hosted by a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader at his house. However, little to no action was taken over the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2021.