LAHORE, Dec 7: Even though there is no provision in the law to arrest the violators of one-dish law, police implicate the violators on different charges so that they can be arrested and sent to jail, a police official told Dawn on Sunday.

Police arrested five violators of the one-dish rule at weddings in the city on Sunday.

Sabzazar police raided Zafar Catering and held supervisor Shaukat; Township police raided Rehmat Banquet Hall and held manager Shoaib and the father of bridegroom, Imran; Johar Town police raided Nazir Catering and took owner Nazir and father of bridegroom Mudassir into custody.

According to the law, police submit report to the magistrate regarding extra expenditure at wedding and the judge can impose a fine between Rs100,000 and Rs300,000 or sentence up to one month imprisonment or both, says the policeman.

The police, said the official, were arresting the violators and imposing sections 188 and 337 H-II of the Pakistan Penal Code and under aerial firing violation in addition to the section 8 of Marriage Functions, Prohibition of Ostentatious Display and Wasteful Expense Act of 2006.

He said the Marriage Act was not effective as violators were got scot-free after deposit fine to avoid arrest.

In a flurry of raids, police raided seven banquet halls in the last five days, eight catering services and four private places arresting 32 people, including wedding planners besides family members of bride-grooms.

The banquet halls raided were: Sohag Hall, VVIP Hall, Rizwan Hall, Green Gardens, Four Seasons, Mehr Hall and Rehmat Hall. Police also raided catering services H & Sons, Sajid, Vickey, VIP, Nazir & Sons, Zafar, Zafar & Sons and Nazir Catering.

Senior Superintendent of Police (operations) Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmed told Dawn the majority of violators had been sent to jail by courts.

He said raids would continue in future, adding the violations were taking place, though not in a large number.

He said police’s crackdown had forced all stakeholders to implement the one-dish law. He said he had met the associations and the divisional SPs individual owners to urge them to implement the law.

He said the police were ensuring the ban with full force at public places.

Also, Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervez issued directives to four district coordination officers (DCOs) of his division to deal with the violators of dish rule with iron hands as the ban was aimed at facilitating the middle-class of the society.

The commissioner said the banquet halls violating the ban thrice would be sealed.