One dish law: ‘Raids at private places not allowed’

“The law is not applicable if a marriage function is held inside a house,” says judge.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday observed that government functionaries had no jurisdiction to enter a private place to check for violations of the Punjab Marriage Function Act of 2006. “The law is not applicable if a marriage function is held inside a house,” said the judge. In this case, he said, the police had forced their way into a house and maltreated wedding guests. The court was hearing a petition against a sessions court order directing the police to register a case against the Allama Iqbal town municipal officer (TMO) and officials of Sabzazar police station for raiding a mehndi at a house. The TMO submitted that the sessions court issued orders without seeking comments from the police. The judge asked the TMO’s counsel to justify the raid on a private residence, but found him unable to give a satisfactory answer.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2012.