The Islamabad High Court in Pakistan’s capital issued an order Monday that banned the celebration of Valentine’s Day across the country ‘with immediate effect.’

The court order prohibits the display of adverts on electronic and print media that reference Valentine’s Day, bans the sale of associated merchandise and states that the day cannot be celebrated in “any public space or government building.”

Justice Shaukat Aziz of the Islamabad High Court ruled that Valentine’s Day goes “against Islamic teachings and should be banned immediately.”

The petition argued that the festival promoted immorality, nudity and indecency under the cover of spreading love.
Valentine’s Day has grown in popularity in many cities in Pakistan over the past decade, but some religious groups have denounced it as decadent.

The ban does not affect shops and restaurants, but it is the first time such a ruling has been imposed in the capital.

The Ministry of Information and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PERMA) and the city government of Islamabad will be responsible for making sure the ban is implemented, the court said. Even private television channels planning Valentine’s Day programming are subject to the ban.