Kabul wedding halls resume activities

KABUL (Pajhwok): Wedding hall owners say marriage ceremonies will resume in Kabul in the coming days following permission from the Taliban.

Haji Mohammad Nader Qarghaee, head of the Kabul Hotel Owners’ Union, told Pajhwok Afghan News that wedding halls had been allowed to restart their activities.

The permission came at a meeting between investors, businesspeople and Taliban officials, days after the movement’s takeover of Kabul, he said,

"We were told that men and women should be seated in separate halls and that services for women should be provided by females and for men by males. There should be no music. We told them halls were already separate the services provided by males and females,” he added.

Qarghaee hailed the Taliban permission for the wedding halls resuming their business as an important decision.

More than 20,000 people had been provided with jobs in hotels. Investor activities in the country should not be disrupted, he believed.

The union leader insisted there was no problem in holding wedding ceremonies at halls.

Ghausuddin, director of the Star Night Hotel in Kabul, which hosted a wedding today, said there were no security issue in arranging such parties.

He said the Taliban, in addition to permitting wedding ceremonies, also provide security and other forms of assistance to hotels.

Haji Akbar, a participant in the wedding party at the Sitara-i-Shab Hall, told Pajhwok: "Three days ago, we came to know that hotels had resumed operations. W we went and reserved the hotel for today (Monday).

“There is no problem and this is good. People had to spend a lot, but now the cost of wedding has decreased."

Akbar commented: "With Taliban’s return, dancing and music at wedding ceremonies have now been banned. This has prevented excessive spending on such parties. We are Muslims and our joys and sorrows should be in accordance with Islamic principles."

Atiqullah, resident of Kabul who attended the wedding, said professionals from various walks of life had restarted their work. The Taliban should announce rules for them as soon as possible, he demanded.

sa/mud