Lahore, Pakistan, 20 May 2011 - Muhammad Nauman filed a petition before Additional District and Sessions Judge Javed Mahmood Sandhu, seeking the registration of a criminal case against his brother Hafiz Salman Talib and his partner Muhammad Zaher Abbas for entering into a UK civil partnership.

The petitioner’s counsel Advocate Mian Adeel Yaqoob appeared before the court praying that the police be directed to register a case against Hafiz Talib and Abbas. The Court refused to entertain the petition, stating that UK law allowed men to live with one another as common law partners and found that evidence of the civil partnership was not evidence of marriage as:“Perusal of the appended certificate of civil partnership does not show that the accused have contracted marriage inter-se,” said Judge Javed Mahmood Sandhu in a two-page order. “There is no direct evidence of commission of an unnatural offence.”

The judge told the petitioner he could approach the station house officer and and ask him to investigate. If the two men were found to have committed any cognisable offence, the SHO would proceed against them in accordance with the law.

Nauman said he would continue to pursue his brother and has indicated that he will offer a Rs50,000 award for information about his whereabouts.