The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday denied the petition against the government’s decision to ban indoor weddings. The petition was heard by a single-bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

Justice Minhallah said that the current wave of infection is more serious and extreme cautions are needed to curb the spread. He noted that the UK police have been authorized to penalize those violating COVID-19 SOPs; it was the government’s responsibility to ensure enforcement of the safety guidelines, and the ban on indoor weddings is a preventive measure.

“The coronavirus claimed lives of your father and Peshawar High Court (PHC) chief justice Waqar Seth,” he said, addressing petitioner’s counsel Sardar Taimoor Aslam. “We should voluntarily shut down everything.”

Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan, Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar, and Deputy Attorney General Tayyab Shah were also present during the hearing and defended the ban on the behalf of the government.

“We cannot ignore the coronavirus situation. For us, it is saving lives versus saving livelihoods. A complete shutdown is easy but we are not headed that way. The decision will be taken by the federal and provincial governments,” the attorney general said.

The motion was denied, however, Justice Minhallah noticed that the government and parliament are 'non-serious' about taking precautions seriously. He pointed out to the attorney general that political parties including ruling party PTI have been organizing Jalsas during election campaigns in Gilgit-Baltistan.