Share the joy: 60 couples tie the knot at Faisalabad mass wedding

FAISALABAD:

As many as 60 couples tied the knot at a mass wedding held at the University of Faisalabad on Friday.

The weddings were organised by Madina Foundation. Imam bin Hussain bin Ali Zainul Abedeen was the chief guest. As many as 2,000 people attended the wedding.

The guests presented gifts to the newlyweds and were treated to a scrumptious dinner after the nikah ceremony.

Naila Ateeq, one of the brides, said told The Express Tribune that as an orphan, she had not expected a lavish wedding.

She said her parents had passed away many years ago and she had three younger siblings to look after.

Rabia Ahmad, another bride, said, “My family could not afford a dowry for me.



My mother passed away and my father has been paralysed because of prolonged illness. I never thought I would find a partner given my difficult circumstances.”

“The organisers not only looked after us but also arranged our wedding in a dignified manner,” she added.

Abdur Rauf, father of a bride, told The Express Tribune that he lost his job after he was injured in an accident at work.

He said he had been living hand-to-mouth and had been worried about the future of his children.

He praised Madina Foundation for arranging the wedding. “I am so happy that my daughter has found a life partner who will be there for her in hard times.”

University of Faisalabad Board of Governors Chairman Mian Muhammad Haneef told newsmen that he was happy the university had allowed use of the university’s facilities for the noble cause.

“The wedding today secured the lives of many people,” he said. “Those who were alone now have partners.

Parents who could not afford a wedding are now happy in the knowledge that their children’s future is secure.”

He said weddings should be humble ceremonies but the society had made it difficult by introducing costly customs and traditions which had created problems for the poor.

Pro-rector of the university Muhammad Iqbal Tahir said dowries and household items had been distributed among the newlyweds.

He urged philanthropists to come forward and donate for such activities.

“It is important to recognise that many people are unable to afford lavish weddings or expensive dowries,” he said. “It does not mean that they do not deserve happiness.”

He said everyone should play their role in ensuring a better future for the underprivileged.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2014.