LAHORE, Feb 8: Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif of the Lahore High Court on Thursday observed that police had been registering cases under the Hudood laws in incidents of elopement and love marriage although parliament had deleted such offences from the statute.

The court made the observation while suspending operations of an FIR registered against a couple, who had contracted love marriage. The court also issued notices for Feb 15 to the police concerned and the complainant for further hearing.

The court said the police earlier used to register cases under the Zina offence of the Hudood Ordinance in such incidents, and the practice was still going on despite changes in the law made by the parliament some months ago.

Petitioner Muhammad Sajjad of Kasur submitted that he had contracted love marriage with Nasim Bibi. Her cousin Karamat had got a case registered against them, he said, alleging that the cousin wanted her to marry an elderly man.

He submitted that he had also got his marriage registered with a magistrate in December last year. He prayed to the court to quash the case.

KITE FLYING: The LHC sought comments from the Punjab government on yet another petition, challenging the Punjab Kite Flying (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007.

Without fixing any date for hearing, the court directed the Punjab government to submit comments on the petition filed on Tuesday by Advocate M D Tahir.

The petitioner had prayed to the court that the ordinance might not be allowed to come into force in the larger public interest.

He submitted that the sport had claimed several lives even during the ban imposed by the Supreme Court, and the situation would worsen in case a free hand was given.

He requested the court to impose a permanent ban on kite flying and its allied businesses in the province.

The LHC on Wednesday had also sought comments from the Punjab government on a similar petition filed by Advocate Muhammad Azhar.

SENTENCED: The Lahore High Court on Thursday jailed three officials of the revenue department for three months each for transferring land despite a stay order.

Those sentenced are tehsildar Muhammad Ismail, patwari Noor Muhammad and qanoongo Shahbaz Ali.

The court issued the orders on a contempt petition filed by Muhammad Ali of Hafizabad, who had submitted that the respondents had transferred his land to a third party flouting a court stay order.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each to the three respondents.