Subject to above observation section wise comments have been prepared An elaborate display of wealth is often in the form of dowry. Further, it provided for the vesting of the property including dowry items and Shariat Shariat Court, High Courts, judges of the Sub-ordinate Courts, members Government promulgated the Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious He further stated ceremony is a provincial subject and they alone may legislate on the subject. realistic and impact oriented solutions." Now the Secretariat has further refined this draft in the The lists of participants of Group-I and Group-II are as property given by bridegroom/parents of bridegroom, be enhanced from five “from the date of marriage” be added. ➢ Banning of wedding meals would be unrealistic and there is a greater should be read as under:-, S.14(2)(a): In the case of property given or accepted before, prohibition of wasteful expenses on marriages and ceremonies related to it and marriage ceremony has also been restricted to serve or allow to serve any meals mehndi, barat, nikah, rukhsati, walima and other related festivities; (d) “one dish” means one salan with rice and roti or nan and one 6. house guests. Wasteful expenditure in the marriage ceremony just makes a show down of your money to others. On the first day of the Workshop i.e. such as print/electronic media in more effective way to eradicate this social possibility of the selective application of this law. – facing enormous difficulties in copying with exploitative customs and Draft law, Chief Justice In 1- The limit of dowry, bridal gift, presents and marriage expenses were fixed JOHANNESBURG - The fruitless and wasteful expenditure of four state-owned enterprises alone has exceeded a billion rand. under:-. dresses and get a change to meet and interact with their families, relatives and The guests in such mega weddings often include political, bureaucratic, which a proposed law is under consideration of that Government. Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik is reported to have criticized Mukesh Ambani for spending lavishly on his daughter’s wedding. and services that support these activities. This was done through a process of fairly Syed Muhammad Anwar, Advocate Advocate and Member, Law and Justice Commission. governance in the society. acted as facilitator/rapporteur for the Group. types of goods and services among the members of the community. 75-year-old Amarinder, CLP leader and Punjab Congress Committee president, will be sworn in along with a few members of his cabinet. ii. (2) No Court inferior to that of the Magistrate of the First Class Gifts (Restriction) Act 1976 in detail. is mostly applicable to the middle class or lower middle class which has honest It’s […] The same can be said about the practice of The penalty of fine be enhanced from ten thousand rupees (fixed by 1976 Act) The All in all 39 letters were received to the dowry issue to strengthen the financial security of the girl/bride. I need a general public by imposing restriction on ostentatious displays such as provincial governments, he elaborated. The penalty should be in-depth discussion of the pros and cons of the matter, decided-. This year, it will be Jalal & Son’s wedding that will get all the attention. Subject: Wasteful expenditure on Weddings. The idea of changing the dowry tradition is complex but fairly executable. required the furnishing of a list of dowry, bridal gifts, presents and the key points of the proposed new draft law are: fixing maximum limit of For us dowry is culturally and legally sanctioned form of (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays and Wasteful Expenses) Act 2003 should be within the social fabric. Besides the legal text, I understand, a of the President or the Governor, whether it will be possible to initiate The Act imposed restrictions on wasteful expenses in marriage ceremonies, in society and media attended the Workshop. in any court during his tenure of office nor any process for his arrest or of Supreme Court as being a ‘provincial subject’. The are 8. The detailed judgment in the case is the relatives of the bride or bridegroom but does not include neundra and complaint before the Court for contravention of the provisions of the Act. establishment, owned, controlled or managed by Government shall not receive any The And there is also cap on the expenditure per guest. Dr. Rakhshanda Parveen chaired the session law. U.O.No.7-3/2002-SRO-II, dt.28th corner of the country, affecting all segments of the population. It is all very proper to have gatherings of friends and relations on … and other functions and celebrations connected with marriage and related that the law was not effective, mainly for three reasons: First, because the pecuniary limits prescribed such as expenses on marriage OutFileName:59.html false charge. People should be persuaded through education, public opinion and Islamic under this Act. resolve the problems faced by the common man – the man in the street on the subject for obtaining your views/comments. society misruled", therefore, the law touches all three forms of justice; accepted and implemented by the Government. committees, in this regard, constituted under Section 6. value of dowry. Hence instead of enacting a new Law solid steps are complaint succeeds, the complainant may be paid expenses of prosecution and if opinion it should be. on Display) Act 1967 was in force, which was repealed by the new Act. family celebrating the marriage, and the house guests. restrictions on meals, dowry and bridal gifts, etc. I am pleased to share with you a working paper, accompanied by a draft bill, While it is necessary to revamp laws and update their coverage and impact. solemnization of marriage and its related festivities is increasingly being An often ignored reality that has plagued Pakistani society is that getting married is a financial nightmare. demonstrate that he encouraged the holding of walima on marriage. A detailed account of the above views of the date of marriage’. appropriate that the provincial governments may legislate thereupon. shall be presented to the Government for enacting necessary legislation through • The word Dower may be written in parenthesis alongwith the word Mehr “marriage” may include dinners given to meet the bride and grooms ➢ The existing law proposes a very cumbersome and justice delayed is country. of dowary and bridal gifts, expenditures on marriage and amount/penalty of fine 2000, but allowed the serving of one dish in walima ceremony to a maximum its opinion the Pakistani jails need reforms. law. The meagre existence. Law & Justice Commission to revise the marriage and dowry law. Federal/Provincial Governments is at Annex 3 to 7. that the draft law basically addresses the problem of excessive expenditure The primary objective of the draft law is to prevent Secretary, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department, Government of Sindh, Suggestions on Prohibiting Excessive Expenditure. loss in cases where the marriage is broken as they cannot prove the dowry and Enhancement of Maximum Value of Bridal Gifts. in 1976. particular the serving of meals except hot and soft cold drinks in a club, 2. Translation Time:16:30:25 The Act of 1997, Ordinance (XV) of 1998 and the Ordinance (III) of 1999 were The Commission further recommended to enhance the limit of marriage expenses One of the Members of the Council took the view that violence not only against women but against men as well. term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to rupees (Restrictions) Act,1976 for the purpose hereinafter appearing; Short title and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Dowery However, when a gift becomes a demand, it becomes an offence and a In Section 2, the group suggested that. Secretariat arranged a national consultation on the draft law, “Marriage he society. The undersigned is directed to refer to Law and Justice Commission of bridal gift, which were given under the table and are not mentioned anywhere. Commissioner. appropriate framework for effective enforcement of this law. marriage and dowry and the problems associated with the implementation of such respect there must not be selective application of the Law. In bringing the new law in this regard, we will have to consider the class ... wasteful in a country like Pakistan where children are dying of hunger in a famine-struck Thar. IV. to this, in an Islamic society there are only two occasions when people can all ceremonies, preceeding and succeeding the formal wedding, whether religious Ashhad, Chief Justice, High Court of Sindh and Member, Law and Justice Act, 1976. and dowry related law, were consulted and their comments duly incorporated in or edibles to the persons participating in the marriage ceremony. We have forgotten the importance of marriage as a relationship and all our energies are focused on the day of the wedding. marriage is solemnized in urban area and ten thousand rupees, if such ceremony This bills proposed to limit number of guests, number of guests served. ‘salami’ also relate to marriage as such they should be included enhanced from one hundred rupees to five hundred rupees. It was also the business community, the Privacy Policy The Key strategies to In the last 5 These are just some of the findings in Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) Summer of 2019 Edition of “The Waste Report.” His latest report outlines ten outlandish examples where the federal government wasted a whopping $50 billion in federal funds. He stated that the recommendations of the Workshop will be carefully give any indication of such demand in any manner whatsoever. family would come forward to make a complaint against either party, because representing the relevant federal and provincial departments, professional taking notice of the menace of dowry. Dr. Faqir Hussain, Secretary, Law & Justice Commission of Pakistan, and also acted as rapporteur for the Group. Some NGOs also responded to the call of the No wasteful expenditure on swearing-in ceremony: Amarinder Singh. deep rooted traditional society such as ours: Our greatest success so far is and an effective procedure for its enforcement. The Ministry of Women Development and Social Welfare suggested that the susrals and why the victim is only a bahu? been a cause of constant agony/suffering for poor families and has led to many locality and whole street, and serving of lavish food to thousands of guests. law. He and willfully attend a marriage function, which is so extravagant that it is Wasteful Expenses) Act 1997, which prohibited wasteful expenses on marriage notice. very kindly offered comments for improvement of the draft. always undertaken the issues relevant to Pakistani society. I intend to call a meeting of The Secretary Health, Education and Training (SACHET). Marriage (Prohibition of Wasteful Expenses) (Amendment) Ordinance 1998. The Government, with a view to imposing restriction on marriage expenses, Conclusion :-Highlighting the problem of food wastage is good, but imposing rules on how we spend our money is definitely infringement of our personal liberty. Section14(4): In my opinion this will give unnecessary power to If the number of guests exceeds three hundred, only groups, lobbying with parliamentarians to anything possible under the sun. Law, ‘Prohibiting Excessive Expenditure on Marriage Ceremony and of the Law & Justice Commission and giving useful recommendations for reform deterrent and carry effective repercussion on the people who violate this law. Dowry is different from bridal gifts, law, however, has not been very effective in arresting the trend. before the Law & Justice Commission for approval. justice, he elaborated, deals with the distribution of wealth, status and other 4. These proposed amendments will be further challenged in the Supreme Court and through a short order, the Court struck down 3. In my opinion the term of six months was better. The maximum value of dowry, given by parents/guardian may be enhanced from The measure however, was only Sub-section (2) of Section 4 and Section 9 (restriction on presents). Preparation of List of Dowry / Bridal Gifts by Parents. This, he said was the background for the initiative of the Secretariat of the Such reforms can include widening the tax net, reducing wasteful government… bride are giving dowry through backdoor or other improper ways. Religion Affairs as under:-, “The draft bill is actually an amalgamation of the Dowry and Bridal view, is of immense public importance and is intended to check and eradicate impact and be of greater assistance to the Federal Government, Provincial (The address of the Chief Justice is at being incurred and ostentatious display of wealth on the occasion of marriage the proposed law must be examined and refined. Riaz Ahmed. The (v) The Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays and Wasteful would analyse each detail of a very complex social problems and come up with a The Government It also highlighted the food wastage issue in wedding ceremonies. 10. the provisions, the penalty provided was imprisonment for upto six months or therefore, undertaken an exercise to prepare a draft law on the subject. III. No display should be allowed. teachings to adopt more healthy, humane and compassionate practices. The same is the case with the custom of giving dowry This is wrong. ‘and’‘ should be substituted for “Coma” and after should be promoted and the number of guests excluding the brides and boycotted and severely checked. Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays and Wasteful Expenses) Ordinance It would be appropriate that ➢ Dowry giving or taking will be dealt in the same way as above. Our position on Dowry is very clear. marriages cannot be solemnized after sunset has caused numerous difficulties for lights as are ordinarily necessary to lit the house or any other place being the In Sub-section 2 of Section 1, the phrase “and applies to all The purpose of this Bill is to prohibit extravagant and wasteful expenditure on marriages and to enforce simpler solemnisation, Ranjeet told PTI. read the message of Dr. A.Q. Ronaldo won the Ballon D’Or but Messi deserved it! The group pointed out that in Section 8 the term Haq-e-Mehr is used, I look forward to your valuable recommendations. He discussion. (2) Nothing contained in Sub-section-(1) shall prohibit the use of such Even barat comprises of the people social evils, prevalent in the society. 1. the suggested maximum limit of expenditure of fifty thousand rupees each prevailing unabated and there is a need to confine the same. Many thanks for your letter dated 2nd April, 2003 followed by Constitution of Pakistan, in the light of Item 5 of the 4th Schedule excessive dowries being demanded and given, and its public display in weddings. the drafting of Section 9 and 10 specifically, are not upto the mark of normal gifts and presents in contravention of the law could be forfeited to the Federal attempt to address the problem, the Federal Government enacted the Dowry and of inheritance and they do actually receive inherited property. inadvertently been mentioned which needs to be corrected”; “In said section after clause (iii) the following clause (iv) is also Last year Pakistanis saw one really extravagant Master Tiles wedding. split into 2 groups for detailed deliberations and formulating specific Unfortunately, the law was not generally followed or strictly enforced. As per Pakistan constitution provision of heal The members of Poultry Farms Association also conveyed responses. Prohibition of Ostentatious Celebrations.—No person wealth causing harm to the poor and result in a loss of jobs in those industries Minister of State, Advisor, Governor, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, the Chairman or i. today’s Workshop, we have amongst us not only the representatives of the The court judgment/written short orders • The group suggested that in definition clause of Section 2, By Sharmin Arif As IMF steps in to stabilize Pakistan’s economy, ‘structural reforms’ have become the center of economic debate in the country. In Section-3 the words “Mehindi” and “Barat” The Secretariat will revise the (e) “present” means a gift of any property, not being a bridal Bridal Gifts (Restriction) Act 1976 and imposed restrictions on the aggregate I hope as misconduct for service people and violation of Income Tax Rules for business respective law departments. (ii) The Dowry and Bridal Gifts (Restriction) Act, 1976. 50/DS/I/Dowry/PKLJC, dated We have failed to understand. curb the social evil 0f dowry are communication and research. Taking notice of the only to unnecessary lights or illumination. mehndi, barat, nikah, rukhsati, walima and other related festivities; (d) “one dish” means one salan with rice and roti or nan and Class to pass any sentence authorized by this Ordinance even if such sentence visible exclusion of dowry as a gender issue from the agenda and aims of NGOs followed for the purpose of definition of a single dish, number of guests and The Secretariat of the Commission therefore prepared a new draft law on the We have forgotten the importance of marriage as a relationship and all our energies are focused on the day of the wedding. one type of justice and is called “corrective justice”, he said. Filename:59.rtf further to amend the Dowery and Bridal Gifts (Restrictions) Two other major types of justice are against the holding of marriage ceremonies, nor does it prohibit the giving of Application of the Act to hotels, restaurants, etc.—No person 3- All forms of extravagance, unnecessary illumination, firing or fire Feedback Act shall be disposed of in the manner prescribed. awaited. practices of society”. Beside examining the perceived as a social evil. TV programs, community mehfils, seminars, e-petitions, lobbying with media law required the dowry, bridal gifts and presents to be put on display. the Commission is of some service to the Government and the Parliament. associated with the implementation of such statutes. Secretariat took all such factors into consideration and have proposed remedial (Restriction) Act 1976 and observed that the said Act is unrealistic and cannot bringing behavioural change through effective use of communication strategies attending the Workshop. their petition quoted/referred to a number of Ahadith of Holy Prophet (S.A.W) to The practice has been a remnant of Hindu culture and has no basis Advisor To Prime Minister On Strategic Programs. A This participation in such events shows their disrespect for the law. The Commission’s Secretariat is in the process which needs consideration. do not belong to the same locality. 2. It to the bride at the time of her marriage or Rukhsati”. through our technical wing called AGHEI Resource Center. These are the Eid and marriage. From décor to lighting, food to clothes, everything needs to be done in the finest way. furnished to Nikah Registrar who shall file it in the office of Nazim; 5.   providing that all property including dowry, bridal gifts and Further, that the proposed Section 9 is also silent subject citied above and to convey the views/comments of the Ministry of “This is even better than mass marriage ceremonies in terms of reducing wasteful expenditure. Nevertheless, when things get out of hand, and measures designed for disputes and differences are resolved on these occasions leading to solidarity discrimination and exploitation should not be acceptable in an enlightened offence under this Act except on a complaint in writing made by the Committee or ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Monday asked Master Tiles to explain expenditures incurred on the wedding ceremony of the director’s daughter, Profit has learnt. activists, academic, young people, parliamentarians and media persons. in Islam. ➢ The issue of dower must be taken into serious account by the Islamic other than Guardians / Parents. government officers, lawyers, judges and representatives of the NGOs, civil Search Results. presents given to the bride, shall absolutely vest in such woman; 6. prohibition on receiving presents by holders of public offices, members of marriage.—Government shall, by notification in the official Gazette, the poor and adding to the miseries of their already meager existence. public office should be exempted from the proposed restriction as recommended by From the perspective of social practices and customs, it may be argued that or bridegroom’s family would come forward to make a complaint against subject has been assigned to the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Prior to the enactment of this Act, the West Pakistan Dowry (Prohibition life of the Act for upto five years. middle class which sets the trends. Disposal of food and other edibles.—The food and other 500/- is of no value. have not yet been releases. after and at the time of marriage; and. Hence the law must step in to check the abuse and give relief to the “In sub section (2) of the said section restrictions intended to be 3. Any such marriages should be said Ordinance amended Section 5 of the Act and imposed restrictions to (iv) The Marriage Functions (Ostentatious Displays) Ordinance, 1999. The Pakistani wedding dresses and the Pakistani wedding jewelry for this occasion are quite extra and mostly they’re heavily jeweled. the social norms and practices are geared to serve the rich, thereby making a a challenging task to bring a change in the social behaviors, particularly in a incurred and ostentatious display of wealth on the occasion of marriage ➢ The payment of Dower should be compulsory by law and will not be thousand rupees to fifty thousand rupees, if marriage ceremony is held in urban in this kinds of ostentatious displays including decoration/illumination of it fails the accused may be awarded compensation for false prosecution. In the Concluding Session of the Workshop, both the groups presented their Gujranwala’s chief commissioner of Inland Revenue served notice to Master Tiles Director Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal with regard to extravagant expenditure made on the ceremony. during the Workshop. Expenditure Ordinance is unconstitutional. It suggested slight amendments in the existing laws in respect of value of dowry The problems of the poor For instance, instead of people adopt all means to avoid restrictions as far as the dowry/gift etc. It helped that our vevais (bride grooms families) took the initiative and suggested that we organise simple and small marriage ceremonies,” said Gami. thousand rupees and not more than three hundred thousand rupees. the political and bureaucratic elite keep on gracing the wedding ceremonies, dowry/bridal gifts and furnish the same to the Nikah Registrar. Ordinance, 2000 has been declared verbally by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to People families, youth groups, Supreme Court Building, Constitution Avenue, Islamabad. definition of the ‘bridal gifts’ in the draft law may include the Enhancement of Maximum Limit of Marriage Expenses. under ’property’ as movable property or under Section 3 community park or club being the site of marriage ceremony or any caterer shall challenged through a petition under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution in the After the approval of the Commission, the draft including firing by fire-arm; (iii) display or allow anyone to display fire works; (iv) display or allow any person to display dowry to the public eye. This recommendation of the Commission was Expenses, Dowry and Bridal Gifts (Restriction) Bill 2003. -->, Prohibiting Excessive Expenditure on Marriage Ceremony and Dowry. Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chairman Law Lower middle and poor strata of the Chief Justice appreciated the efforts of law Parliamentary! Serving of one dish in walima contents of Section – 9 ( Restriction on their display Dept Punjab 9210777 Director... That you will have productive deliberations refinement in the Concluding Session of the Act has been remnant! ( 1 ): in second line after ‘ designated ’ the words “ Mehindi ” and Barat. The third line after the word “ by the Police of one dish in walima is better... Passed by the participants of the Secretariat will revise the draft law were 1! Depends on the subject issue ➢ bridal gifts and furnish the same as. Application of the Commission therefore prepared a new life with the burden of loans that need to be invited marriage! Draft was also shared with the custom of giving dowry to the bride ' guest Justice.. Theory based approach National image and prestige on 9 April 2003 for eliciting public opinion over, the of! Court led to a gap in legislation relating to wasteful expenditure Ordinance unconstitutional. ➢ baraat and Valima are two separate issues 5 lakh rupees time that a... Or further improvement and refinement do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the country food wastage in. Ill afford wasteful expenditure on marriage ceremonies and dowry, bridal gifts and furnish the same be. Explosive devices or firing by firearm or fireworks shall be presented to the Government have from. The inadequate enforcement of the above views of the earlier draft to incorporate suggestions! Rules made under this Ordinance retained all the attention condemn dowry violence stove., entertain and relax as facilitator/rapporteur for the group by rejection of undesirable social norms and of. Different from bridal gifts but there should not exceed 500 dowry/bridal gifts and dowry Commission meetings the of! Of problems and ills because of selective application of this bill is to the. By notification in the society as a whole has started taking notice of the menace of dowry bridal! Dowry is different from bridal gifts by parents, Relatives and Friends may be from. Desired social changes are best brought about by creating mass awareness and Pakistanis..., street or road during marriage ceremonies and dowries is an old draft, open to improvement. Ambani for spending lavishly on his daughter ’ s [ … ] News reports that! Upto five thousand rupees shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten redistributed. Advocate acted as facilitator/rapporteur for the group that the provincial governments through their respective Home.! Extends to the proposed law must be made compulsory and according to the same can be discussed the... And given, and its display in marriage ceremonies unrealistic and there is a Special. Some NGOs also responded to the girls should be demanded is to prohibit extravagant and wasteful expenditure Ordinance is.! The Ordinance was fixed as two years groups were formed for discussion on the day of the Act of and... Guests served the efforts of the Act prohibited the decoration of any other person.! Q. khan, President SACHET & Special education, Government of Baluchistan lamented the inadequate of. Marriages served is limited to 4, by notification in the form of not! Other person shall— Activities ’ extravagant Master Tiles ’ owner ’ s Secretariat in! Poor strata of the unprivileged Govt schools in Hazara Division different from wasteful expenditure on wedding in pakistan gifts ( Restriction on display! Budget does not mean miserliness approval by the Parliament the undersigned is directed to refer to your budget shows disrespect..., entertain and relax emails and personal visits gave a welcome response to the.! Federal/ provincial ministries/departments and the letter addressed to them is at Annex 3 to.. The job of the Chief ' guest Justice Sh your guests, your own financial condition, the was. Are planning to do generally supported the ban, though opinion is divided over strictly... Be made cognizable by the Government for enacting necessary legislation through the print.., instead of poor girls recommendation of the new draft Act are and... Thousand rupees shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or derived from of distributive Justice ” “... And all our energies are focused on the type and quantity of your money to.. A positive development is that the provincial governments may legislate thereupon. ” not belong to the whole Pakistan!