Karachi: The owners of marriage and banquet halls in Karachi have announced they will reopen their businesses from April 28 (Ramadan 15) in defiance of the anti-coronavirus lockdown regime of the Sindh government.
Those who run marriage and other commercial event venues in Karachi say the reopening of their businesses have become essential for the sake of livelihoods of around one million people associated with the events’ industry.
The latest lockdown orders of the Sindh government don’t allow marriage and other public events anywhere in the province till May 16 due to the third wave of coronavirus infections.
Speaking at a press conference, office-bearers of the associations representing banquet halls and related businesses of caterers and decorators said that there was no valid reason to keep the marriage venues shut anymore as the prevalence of coronavirus cases in Karachi had been much less as compared to rest of the country.
They warned that people associated with the events’ industry would be compelled to take to streets if they were not allowed to reopen their businesses.
They said the continued closure of the marriage and banquet halls was like the economic murder of the workers associated with the events’ industry.
Economic woes
They complained that the events’ industry was being singled out in the lockdown regime as the orders had been given to completely shut it whereas other business activities have been continuing in the province as usual.
They said the owners of the event venues had been facing serious economic woes as continued closure of their businesses was not an option any more.
They assured that marriage and banquet halls after their reopening would fully adhere to the anti-coronavirus safety precautions prescribed by the government.
Qais Mansoor Shaikh, who represents caterers, decorators, event organisers in Karachi; said the government should allow marriage and other events in the open air when the lockdown orders allowed outdoor dine-in services at the restaurants.
