Marriage hall labourers hold sit-in, demand reopening of their work

KARACHI: The workers of Karachi Marriage Halls Labour Union staged protest at Five Star Chowrangi of the city, demanding reopening of marriage halls, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The protesters, including women and children, staged sit-in at Five Star Chowrangi against closure of wedding halls during the lockdown, imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

The traffic flow from Sakhi Hassan to Hyderi was blockded due to the marriage hall workers’ protest.

Protest leaders said that the workers have lost their jobs due to the lockdown and demanded reopening of marriage halls.

All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chief Atiq Mir in the begining of June said that about one million people have lost their jobs due to closure of marriage halls in the city. A large number of people associated with the businesses related to marriage halls are currently unemployed, he said.

After reopening of many sectors, including markets, offices and other institutions that were closed after the Covid-19 pandemic, Karachi Marriage Halls Association had asked the government to allow them to carry out their businesses and assured the government that they would follow standard operating procedures (SOPs).

They said that when all businesses had been allowed to operate in the country, such as shopping malls, public transport, airlines, Nadra mega centres, cattle markets and places of worship, then why marriage halls or banquets were not allowed to operate under SOPs.

They said they were ready to follow all precautionary measures and adopt SOPs, including maintaining social distancing.

They said that due to closure of marriage halls, almost more than one million people directly and indirectly associated with allied industries had become jobless in the metropolis.