Although this isn’t a political piece, it has a politician smack dab in the middle because he is responsible for it being committed to ink and paper.
Although this isn’t a political piece, it has a politician smack dab in the middle because he is responsible for it being committed to ink and paper. The long and short of it is that we in Sindh finally have a chief minister who is not asleep 24/7, and has made some policy decisions that have made the public in general abuzz vehemently.
In a high profile meeting recently held at the CM House, Murad Ali Shah, the dynamic Chief Minister of Sindh, decreed that all wedding functions should end at 10pm from November 1. The Chief Minister said he had noticed too many dishes served at wedding feasts, and so his second directive deals with re-starting the one dish rule, which means rice, one gravy with roti or nan, a salad and a dessert. He said he would not attend a wedding where more than one dish is served. He also wants the businesses and shops to close at 7pm.
There can certainly be no objection to the one dish rule, which isn’t even a new rule; it has already been tried and tested and found flouted, with the blessings of the very people who are charged to see the restriction implemented.
The test will be to implement these rules from November 1. Can wedding ceremonies end at 10pm? What happens if the order is flouted? Previously, marriage hall owners used to be fined, unlike Punjab where the bridegroom spends his wedding night in jail if apprehended for breaking the ban.
And, finally, we come to the crux of the matter, shopping. What, closing the shops at the ungodly hour of 7pm! Can it be done? Is it practical? In this regard You! talks to some professional women of Karachi.
Shanaz Ramzi
(writer)
I think this is a good move, provided there is the will to implement it as well. A similar move had been made years ago, where shops had been directed to open and shut early, in order to conserve electricity, but it did not work in Karachi. The surprising part is that none of these rules are new for Pakistan - they are all being observed in the Punjab without any issues. I have witnessed it myself - weddings start early and finish off by 10 pm and only one dish is allowed - but people have no issues with it there. There is a sense of ownership, a commitment to make things better and to cooperate with the government. Considering that it should have been more difficult to change a feudal mindset, deal with politicians, etc, and they still had no problems, one doesn’t understand why there is so much hue and cry here?
It’s a shame that there is no sense of ownership here. The earlier everything starts and finishes the more time there is for a family to function together as a healthy unit. I feel that the problem with our frustrated youth these days is that they have too much of time on their hands without any father figure guiding them and controlling them, as all the older brothers and fathers are busy at work till late hours. I think our society will improve as a whole if families begin to spend time together at nights under the supervision of the male members. You hear people grumbling that nothing opens here before noon, that weddings are such late affairs and it is so unsafe to be returning home late at night, and that there is so much wastage at these affairs with everyone trying to compete with the Jones, but no one wants to do anything about it!
Professor Dr Rana 
Qamar Masood
(Dow University of Health Sciences)
Last time it happened, I remember getting wedding invitations dressed as ‘aqiqa’ cards. The hosts would serve refreshments and distribute coupons for dinners. If a rule is made it should be applied to all classes. People will not look to find a loophole to go around the rule if they know that all classes are bound by it. But, Karachi is a mega city with mega problems, so all these steps should be implemented in stages.
The idea of one dish will relieve pressure on the girl’s family. So much has to be spent on decorations and stuff that the money saved on food would be very welcome.
I believe heavy penalty should be levied on flouters. A task force should monitor the functions instead of police. Fine should be heavy enough to deter people. Shops must close at 7pm. Closing shops and businesses at 7pm will be a welcome move, because the way things are, half the day is wasted as most shops open from 12 noon to 12 midnight. Timings should be fixed for both opening and closing so people will not suffer. It will save unnecessary consumption of electricity. On Sundays shops should remain open for the convenience of working people.
However, 10 o’ clock ban on weddings is not practical for doctors and other professionals. We have, at times, clinics till 11. If it comes into effect, professionals will not be able to attend events as commuting anywhere takes an hour! We don’t have a mass transit system and roads are always clogged. In interior Sindh it can be done but not in Karachi. Also, in the same vein, unnecessary illumination in marriage halls should be checked when the hall is closed.
Huma Adnan
(entrepreneur)
In Karachi, most people belonging to the working class get done between 6:00 pm to 6:30pm. Most working women like me can only go shopping after work. We either have to wait for the weekend or go after working hours, which is definitely after 7. We are responsible for generating almost 70 per cent of the country’s revenue. You can close the other cities but not us; it will be bad for business.
Abroad, mall timings are from 10 am to 10 pm and since Karachi is a city that can be compared with mega cities like Mumbai, Dubai, New York, etc, the better alternative would be for the malls to follow suit. These timings are fair for business people, consumers and store owners. A person getting off at 6pm cannot rush to the mall immediately to check out a sherwani. In my opinion, our business will get affected, and it will become extremely difficult for working people in general.
Another important thing is to re-introduce the practice of daylight saving time. It will help save energy if clocks are advanced by one hour to make the daylight last an hour longer.
The one dish rule is a good idea. It will help people save a lot of money that is wasted because people feel compelled to serve at least five dishes. However, I think it will not take well. In Lahore, this rule is breached by serving dinner at home.
Ending weddings at 10 pm cannot work in Karachi, either. It’s a fast paced city where time is money. Rest of the country can be shut, but not the city of lights.
Ruby Shakel
(business woman)
I think it is a very good initiative by the Chief Minister and we should all support him whole-heartedly. But, I do feel it’s not so simple or easy to implement these rules in Karachi. I know these wedding timings are being followed in Lahore and other cities of the Punjab. There, weddings are even held during daytime, so it’s not a problem. You see, in Punjab, there always has been this culture of going to bed early and rising up in the wee hours of the morning. So, it’s ideal for them. If people support the 10 o’ clock rule, nothing like it! After all, the majority of people in Karachi do not belong to the business class. They follow a 9 to 5 routine, so it is good for them if they get done with the wedding by 10 and go to bed relatively early to go to work with a fresh mind the next day. It’s only the business class that can afford to sleep late, because most of them don’t go to work before 12 noon!
One dish is a very good idea; I am definitely in favour of it. We all know how much pressure the bride’s family is under financially. They have to spend a lot on decoration and venue but this rule will help them save some money on food.
In the holy Quran, Allah tells us that he has made night to sleep and day to work. So yes, I think shops and businesses should open early and close at 7pm. It will relieve electricity problems. More people will get electricity at night if malls close early. In my opinion, if Murad Ali Shah is trying to bring positive changes in the city, we should all support, appreciate and cooperate with him. For the first time a chief minister is trying, I am for him.
Amara Ashraf
(Marketing & Communications Manager)
Wedding events hold a very significant position in the wedding culture. We think it is a good initiative as the law will help to curtail the extravagant wedding costs which set unrealistic standards. We support the decision and we will try to provide the maximum to our guests within the new boundaries. Mövenpick Hotel Karachi’s aim is to provide affordable and luxurious wedding events with outstanding services and we will try to satisfy the guests with the same as we have been doing before. However, the guests will take time to adjust to the new resolution for which we will recommend that the people are given a notice period prior to the application of the new law, so they can prepare themselves mentally. We will definitely play our part in making this change a pleasant one for our guests by providing the best customized services.
Will it work?
Now the million dollar question is - are these rules going to be implemented in Karachi? According to Commissioner Karachi, Ejaz Ahmad Khan, no decision has been taken to close markets in Sindh by 7pm up till now. Traders and businessmen have opposed the Sindh government to shut business at 7 pm.
Mr Atiq Mir, president of the Karachi Tajir Ittehad says that 99 per cent of retailers agree that markets cannot close at 7 pm, but added that in winter shops are generally closed around 8:30.
Can these rules work? May be ... but for that to happen we will need a better infrastructure. We need a transport system on the model of India or UK. Imagine all and sundry tearing out of their workplaces at 5 and clogging the roads, which are, as it is, already jammed all the time.
To all the above views, Murad Ali Shah’s clincher is: “My contention is very simple. Start your work on time and complete it within time!”
