Baseless hoax of ban on Pakistani wedding tradition spreads online

Throwing cash at wedding parties, a common tradition across Pakistan, has not been banned in Punjab, contrary to claims circulating on social media. AFP found no trace of such a prohibition, and provincial authorities confirmed the rumours are false.

"A ban has been placed on throwing currency notes during weddings. Bridegroom will be arrested on violation of this ban," reads an Urdu-language Facebook post published April 13, 2025.

The post refers to a common wedding practice in Pakistan where the groom's entourage tosses money over their wedding guests.

Similar posts with the same false claim surfaced on TikTok and Threads.

Some viral social media posts have portrayed the tradition as overly extravagant, highlighting cases in which large sums of foreign currency or even mobile phones are showered on crowds (archived link).

But AFP found no credible reports about an official ban on the wedding tradition.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari told AFP on June 12 that the government had not prohibited the wedding custom (archived link).

"No such order has been issued to ban giving away of money or throwing of currency notes during wedding ceremonies," Bukhari said. "These are all baseless rumours."

Tauseef Sabih Gondal, director of public relations for Punjab Home Department, told AFP on June 24: "It's a fake news. No such notification has been issued."

Gondal said police have also informed the Home Department that they have not received any instructions on a purported ban, adding that the police have not made any related arrests.

A Punjab Police spokesman confirmed to AFP on June 23 that "no such instructions have been received."