KHYBER: Calls to curb the culture of extravagant spending on weddings and other festive occasions have gained traction, with residents highlighting the need for repeated awareness campaigns to promote simplicity.

Excessive spending on weddings and other festivities has put middle- and lower-middle-class families in a dilemma, as they can neither skip such occasions nor can they afford to throw lavish parties and also arrange for unnecessary dowry items.

Residents said that such practices penetrated into society after a sizable number of families migrated to other parts of the country due to multiple reasons during the last couple of decades, where they adopted these ‘alien’ practices, which were considered as a taboo in most tribal areas until recently.

They argued that while the dowry would consist of very few necessary items, including selected jewellery, walima too was simple, with no concept of arranging such gatherings in wedding halls, and food served on such occasions consisted mostly of two to three traditional dishes.

They said that marriages of several young boys and girls could not be solemnised due to their parents’ inability to bear the extra expenses and also to fulfil the dowry demands.

Sumiya Afridi, a former councillor and currently a member of the local dispute resolution council, told Dawn that such festive occasions were unnecessarily complicated and expensive, much to the discomfort of low-income families.

She said that young grooms and brides were the most affected as they remained under pressure from society to comply with the new norms, forcing them to rely on borrowed money.

“We need to understand that a marriage ceremony is not a show-offevent but rather a sacred and highly respected relationship between two dignified families with lasting positive effects,” she stated and pressed for adopting simple and graceful practices while remaining within financial constraints.

She suggested that old customs and traditions shall be reviewed and amended in a positive manner rather than challenging them.

Murad Hussain, president of Khyber Siyasi Ittehad, observed that extravagant spending on such festive occasions later developed serious complications as the lenders demanded quick returns on the lent money.

“I have personally mediated many such issues, though with a lot of difficulties, as the families concerned were not in a position to return the money while the creditors were insisting on prompt returns,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2026