Marriage Functions (Ostentatious Displays) Ordinance, 1999

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RmlsTERED No. u - to2
E'Ei
d'hc Gla1fr0 @
of f,ohidan
EXTRAORDINARY
PUALIS}IED BY AUTHORITY
ISLAMABAD, SATURDAYAPRIL T7, 1999
PART I
Acts, Ordinances, President's Orders and Regulations
COVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
MINISTRY OF LAW JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
(Law, Justice and Human Rights Division)
Islanabad, the lTth APril, 1999
No. F.2 (f )/99-Pub.-The following Ordinance made by the President is
hereby published for general information :-
oRDINANCE No. III oF 1999
AN
ORDINANCE
WHEREAs, it is expedient to provide for the prohibition of wasteful
expenses on marriages and ceremonies related thereto ;
AND wHEREAs the National Assembly is not in session and the President
is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary to take imrnediate
action :
Now, THEREFoRE, in exercise of the powers conferrcd by clause (l) of
Article 89 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President
is pleased to make and promulgate the following Ordinance :-
(72t)
Price : Rs. 03.00
[339(99)tBx. Gaz.]

TI{E GAZETTE OF PAKISTAN, EXTRA, APRIL 17, I 999
IPART I
l. 
Short title, extent and commencement.-(l) This Ordinance may
be called the Marriage Functions (Ostentatious Displays) Ordinance, 1999.
(2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan
2. Interpretation.- For the purposes of this Ordinance the expres-
sion "marriage" shall include all ceremonies, preceding and succeeding the
formal wedding, whether religious or civil rituals such as nikah, rukhsati, t,'alinn,
mehndi, rasm-e-hina, and other functions and celebrations connected with
marriage and related festivities.
3. Prohibition of ostentatious celebrations.-{ I ) Subject to sutF
section (2), no person celebrating his marriage or the marriage of any other
person shall--
(a) decorate or cause to be decorated any house or building including
any space appertaining thereto, stre€t, road or other place, whether
owned by him oi otherwise, with lights or illumination ;
(b) explode or allow any one to explde cracker or olher explosive
device including firing by firearm: or
(c) display or allow any one to display fire-works.
4. Restriction on wosteful expenscs.-< I ) No person celebrating his
or the marriage of any other person shall serve or allow any one to serve meals or
other edibles to the persons participating in the marriage in a club, hotel, r€stau-
rant, wedding hall, community cehtrc or any o{her place, except hot and cold soft
drinks.
(2) Nothing contained in sub-section (l) shall apply to the eating of
meals within the house by the members of family celebrating the marriage or the
house guests.
5. Application of the Ordinance to hotels, restaurants, etc.-No
person owning or running a hotel, restaurant, wedding halt, community centre, or
722
(3) It shall come into force at once and shall remain in force for a
period of two years from its.conmencement.
(2) Nothing contained in sub-section (l) shall prohibit the use of such
lights as are ordina ly necessary to lit the house or any other place being the site
of marriage.
1-

PARr Il 
THE GAZE TTE OF PAKS'rAN, EXTRA, APRIL I 7, 1999
723
club being the site of a marriage ceremony or any caterer shall serve or allow any
one to serve any meals or edibles to the persons participating in the marriage
ceremony other than hot and cold soft drinks.
6. 0{Tences.-Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 3.
section 4 or section 5 shall be guilty of an offence punishable with simple
imprisonment for a term u,hich may extend to one month or with fine which shall
be not less than one hundred thousand rupees and not more. than five hundred
thousand rupees or with both.
7. Cognizance of offences.{ I ) The offences under this Ordinance
shall be non-cognizable and no court shall talie cognizance of an offence under
this Ordinance except on a complaint in writing by an officer or agency as the
Federal Govemment or a Provincial Govemment may, by notification in the
official Gazette, appoint.
(2) No court inl'erior to thxt of the Magistrate of the first class shall try
an offence under this (Jrdinance.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 32 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898) it shall be lawful for any Magistrate of
the first class to pass any sentence authorized by this Ordinance even if such sen-
tence exceeds his power under the said section 32.
MUHAMMAD RAFIQ TARAR,
Prcsidertt.
Cg. IRSHAD AHMAD,
Se.crctary.
PRTNTED BY THE MANAGER. PRINTING CoRPORATIoN oF PAKISTAN PRESS. tsLAIltABAD
PUBLISHED BY THE MANACER OF PUBLICATIONS' KARACHI-