A Pakistani court banned public and online celebration of Valentine's Day nationwide on Monday. The move came after private citizen Abdul Waheed filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court, calling the holiday un-Islamic.

Valentine's Day has become a source of contention in Pakistan in recent years. Although it is popular on social media and used for promotions, many among the country's conservative religious community have criticized the new holiday as too Western, also pointing out that is a Christian saint's day.

Indeed, some fanatics have even taken to physically intimidating young people they saw publically honoring the day.

Petitioner Waheed said filed his complaint after saw media presenting the holiday like it was a Pakistani tradition.

President Mamnoon Hussain had previously supported banning the celebrations, saying last year that "Valentine's Day has no connection with our culture and it should be avoided."

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.

Travel tips for lovers A night in Venice Many love stories are set in the lagoon city in Italy. Johann Strauss captured the romanticism in his operetta "A night in Venice," in which the love interest is enticed to climb into a boat in the "Gondola Song." Local legend says that lovers will be granted eternal love if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the Bridge of Sighs as the bells of St Mark's Campanile toll.

Travel tips for lovers Throw a coin in Rome Legend says that if you throw three coins into the waters of the most famous fountain in the Eternal City you will marry your lover. The fountain also made movie history in an iconic scene of the Federico Fellini film "La Dolce Vita," in which actress Anita Ekberg bathes in the Trevi waters.

Travel tips for lovers Lock your love in Frankfurt Against the backdrop of the banking city's skyline, countless couples swear undying love on the Eiserne Steg pedestrian bridge by attaching a padlock with their initials engraved to the railing of the bridge and throwing the key into the river Main. This romantic gesture can have a downside though, as a bridge railing in Paris collapsed under the weight of too many padlocks.

Travel tips for lovers Stroll along the Seine Paris has 37 bridges connecting the south bank (rive gauche) with the northern bank (rive droite). There is no escaping the romance of this city. In the early 19th century, it reveled in the artistic and literary liberation of Romanticism, yet this graceful city has always inspired love. It is also one of the few places in the world where public displays of passion are welcomed.

Travel tips for lovers Dive into hot waters in Reykjavík Just outside the Icelandic capital, the Blue Lagoon offers warm waters. The 240-degree-Celsius geothermal water originates some 1,600 meters (5249 ft.) below the surface. It is cooled en route to a pleasant temperature before being added to the spa waters of the Blue Lagoon. Surrounded by impressive nature and immersed in mineral rich steam, any visit here is a romantic spa experience.

Travel tips for lovers Decompress in Lisbon Take time for a nostalgic tour of the Portuguese capital. For over 100 years, three funicular trains, like the "Ascensor da Bica" have connected the lower city (Baixa) with the upper city districts (Chiada and Bairro Alto) which are located high up on steep cliffs.

Travel tips for lovers Take a leap of faith in the Alps At a height of 2,000 meters, why not run hand in hand together over one of two bridges spanning a vertical drop of over 1,000 meters to a viewing platform to enjoy an Alpine panorama. The glazed viewing platform AlpspiX will guarantee a racing heart. The adventure begins above the mountain station of the Alpspitzbahn cable car, which runs from the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the valley.

Travel tips for lovers Run over hot lava on Fuerteventura Lovers can find secluded places on the never-ending beaches of fine black sand. The volcanic Canary Islands are today part of Spain. Fuerteventura is thought to be the oldest of the islands, created during a volcanic eruption off the coast of Africa some 20 million years ago. There haven't been any volcanic eruptions for a very long time, but there is still a lot of heat under your feet here.

Travel tips for lovers Explore Vienna with a horsepower of two Lovers get an extra helping of romanticism in the Austrian capital. Take a horse-drawn carriage to Schönbrunn Palace or to the Prater amusement park with its huge Ferris wheel. There you can make your rounds in a romantically gondola before going for a four-course dinner in the evening.

Travel tips for lovers Tango in Helsinki The dance floor reveals how well you work together. The Finish Tango has advantages over the classic Argentinean style: It is more casual and easier to learn. Finland is rarely thought of as the world's second Tango nation, but rather seen as the land of a thousand lakes. Yet since 1913, couples over generations have come closer here, dancing to the rhythm of slow, slow, fast, fast, slow. Author: Ille Simon



es/rc (dpa, PTI)