Lahore:
The reception party of the newly married couple Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza at the Pakistani cricketer's hometown Sialkot was marred by mismanagement with some 2,000 people turning up as against 1,000 invitees.
In their efforts to stop the "uninvited guests" who arrived to attend the reception held at a hockey stadium on Sunday night, private security guards did not even allow some of Shoaib's relatives and friends to enter the venue.
Thousands of Sialkotees gathered outside Shoaib's house on Sunday and danced to the beat of drums through the day and the hockey stadium was specially decorated for the festive occasion.
Many residents of the city said yesterday was a special day for them as the people of Sialkot had been waiting for the arrival of the cricketer and his Indian bride.
But there was chaos soon after Sania, clad in a green sari with gold brocade, and Shoaib, in a white sherwani, entered the venue at 9 pm.
A local journalist said 1,000 guests were present at the stadium that can accommodate only some 700 people.
"The entry of so many people created mismanagement and even Sania was unhappy about it," the reporter said.
Some TV news channels beamed footage of what they described as an exchange of heated words between the couple over the issue. A clip showed an upset Shoaib and Sania being escorted by security guards as they tried to avoid a crowd of guests.
The guests were served chicken korma and rice in keeping with the government's ban on serving more than one dish at wedding receptions.
However, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court alleging that more than one dish was served on that occasion.
After the reception, Shoaib and Sania returned to Lahore's Pearl Continental Hotel at around 3 am this on Monday morning.
The couple remained ensconced in their hotel room and was expected to tour Lahore later in the evening.
Sania's sister Anum said her sibling had come to Pakistan in 1991 to play a junior tennis tournament in Islamabad. She also described Lahore as a beautiful city that resembled Delhi.
The couple's "walima" or reception hosted by the groom's family will be held at the Pearl Continental Hotel tomorrow and some 1,000 people have been invited there.
Senior government functionaries are also expected to attend the reception party.
Pearl Continental official Aila Tariq told PTI that the hotel management will ensure that only one dish is served during the function in line with the government's directive.
Chicken korma will be served with rice and naans during the function, hotel officials said.