Multan: In Pakistan, wedding ceremonies are more of a lavish spectacle than a matrimonial celebration.
But one recent grandiose wedding event has attracted the attention of not only the media but also the country’s income tax authorities.
The wedding, held in Pakistan’s city of Multan, was extravagant in every possible way.
The groom, Shaikh Mohammad Irfan, entered the marriage hall sitting on top of a lion cage.
The traditional headdress (Sehra) worn by the groom was made of 600 grams of gold.
Irfan married the daughter of a wrestler in an extravagant ceremony, where the groom’s family and friends were seen throwing away currency notes to show their love and celebrate the occasion.
The more than 15,000 guests who attended the ceremony were entertained by a musical performance from Pakistan’s leading folk singer, Saeen Zahoor.
The lavish wedding of Multan resident Irfan became the talk of the town as video footage was shared on social media, attracting the notice of Regional Commissioner of Income Tax Saleem Raza.
The parents of the bride and groom were issued notices by the Federal Board of Revenue for spending millions on their children’s wedding.
The tax returns notice asks the parents to submit details of the source of their income and tax returns by March 24.
The letter issued by the Inland Revenue asked the father of the groom to provide his NTN with the details of last tax returns.
“Your reply should reach the undersigned by March 24 positively. Please note that in the case of non-compliance, it will be considered that you are not an existing taxpayer and regular proceedings will be initiated under section 114(4) of the Income Tax Ordinance of 2001” the letter reads.
In response to the Income Tax notice, the father of groom, Shaikh Mohammad Hashmat said that he spent lavishly because Irfan is his only son and he wanted to fulfil his every wish.
Moreover, the bride’s family also spent excessively and gave away dowry costing up to Rs500 million (Dh17.56 million).
The bride’s family also gifted motorbikes to cousins and friends of the groom, along with three dozen rings to his sisters and other female relatives, according to local media.
