LAHORE – The Punjab government has been working on a resolution to ban Pakistani Wedding Dance and Music. Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Uzma Kardar gives the idea to stop dance and music in family gatherings.
Uzma Kardar opposed the ban, arguing that wedding celebrations are important for small moments of joy. She questioned the proposer’s understanding of marriage traditions, saying, “We oppose restrictions on celebrating our children’s marriages according to Punjab’s cultural customs.”
The Speaker of the Punjab Assembly remarked that inviting famous dancers like Mehek Malik is seen as art and culture in Pakistani wedding dance and festivals, but when a less privileged person does it, it is labeled as inappropriate.
MPA Samiullah Khan added that society should address social issues, noting a lack of social pressure groups in Pakistan. He suggested rephrasing the resolution to align with Pakistan’s social and cultural traditions.
The resolution, presented by government member Hamida Mian, claimed that wedding celebrations reflect cultural and religious values but noted that live streaming of music and dance has led to inappropriate and even harmful behavior, with incidents of mistreatment of female dancers and transgender individuals.
These issues, it argued, violate human rights and are against religious and cultural values.
The Provincial Assembly urged the federal and provincial governments to ban such gatherings and amend Section 294 of the Pakistan Penal Code to increase penalties for abuse against female and transgender performers.
Law enforcement agencies were called upon to monitor these incidents closely and enforce disciplinary action where needed.
