INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A mass wedding of nearly 125 young couples took place in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province.Organizers said they
wanted to avoid extravagant spending that often happens around wedding ceremonies in a bid to move away from the tradition of lavish
nuptials.A number of couples who are included in this mass wedding are happy with this ceremony, saying that they could not hold their
wedding due to economic problems.Some religious scholars meanwhile say the exorbitant wedding expenses and unsavory traditions have
prevented young people from getting married, and many of them are forced to go abroad to find work in order to make money to pay for their
weddings.The culture of mass weddings has been promoted in a number of provinces in the country and in recent months, dozens of young
couples have participated in mass weddings in Nimruz, Kandahar and Kabul.The post 125 couples tie the knot at mass weddings in Balkh first
