Wedding industry suffers massive losses

Road blockades in Rawalpindi and Islamabad for three days brought the wedding season in the twin cities to a standstill, leading to the cancellation of dozens of scheduled marriage ceremonies, receptions, and weddings in marquees, wedding halls, and hotels.

According to the Marriage Halls Association, families travelling from other cities were also forced to cancel their events as intercity routes remained blocked.

The closures not only caused deep disappointment for the bride and groom's families but also resulted in heavy financial losses for wedding venues, hotels, caterers, lighting suppliers, and decorators.

The association said because of containers placed on main roads and several entry points, residents cancelled all Sunday weddings as well.

If the situation does not improve, more bookings are likely to be withdrawn in the coming days. Many families opted for simple weddings, performing nikah ceremonies at home or in local neighbourhoods under makeshift tents and setting new dates for the wedding and reception. For three days, marquees, halls, and hotels across the twin cities stood deserted.

Once vibrant spaces of festivity wore a desolate look. Small vendors who earned their livelihood selling snacks, balloons, toys, ice cream, betel leaves, and cigarettes outside these venues were unemployed.

"The wedding business supports dozens of other professions, and all have been hit hard," said Azmat Ali Khattak, Secretary-General of the Marriage Halls Association.

"There are more than 12,000 marquees and small wedding halls in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. This is peak wedding season, and each hall has one or two bookings daily. Between Thursday and Monday alone, nearly 20,000 events have been cancelled, causing massive financial losses."

Khattak warned that the situation showed no signs of improving. "We urge the government to hold talks with Tehreek-e-Labbaik instead of using force. Allow them to protest symbolically so that business activities can resume. Otherwise, an economic collapse is imminent," he said.

The crisis also devastated the catering industry. Sohail Ashraf, President of the Food Catering Union, said that sudden cancellations disrupted all orders for chicken, mutton, beef, and tomatoes, resulting in huge losses. "Dry supplies can be stored, but fresh meat and vegetables have gone to waste," he explained.