LAHORE: Pakistan paceman Wahab Riaz has been booked by police for breaching local laws against excessive wedding celebrations.

The 28-year-old left-arm paceman, who got married on Saturday, was accused after Lahore district magistrate officials raided his house on Thursday.

The Punjab authorities passed a rule late last month banning marriage ceremonies beyond 10:00 pm in the night and barring more than one dish in meals.

The law is widely condemned in Lahore, a vibrant city where marriage ceremonies are renowned for running late into the night.

Riaz's father Sikander said his son was granted bail from the additional session judge until December 9.

“It's a baseless case against us and Riaz has been granted bail until December 9 and after that we will file a defamation case against those who raided our house,” Sikander told reporters.

Mohammad Amir, inspector in the city government, said Riaz's house was raided on reports of violation.

“We raided his house at around 11pm and found that five dishes were served in meals which was a violation and an FIR (first information report) was lodged against Riaz,” Amir told AFP.

If proven guilty Riaz will be fined in the range of 100,000 to 150,000 Pakistani rupees ($1,000 to $1,500).

Riaz has played seven Tests, 39 one-dayers and six Twenty20s for Pakistan.

He was dropped from the team for this month's short tour of South Africa and has not been selected since.

Opinion

Editorial

Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...
Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....