LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram found himself at the centre of controversy after a citizen filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), accusing him of endorsing an illegal online gambling platform.
The petition, filed by a citizen named Muhammad Fayyaz, alleged that Akram had entered into an agreement with an Indian betting platform “Baji”.
The complainant claimed that promotional material circulating on social media — including a poster and a short video clip — showed the former fast bowler encouraging users to sign up for the betting service.
According to the petition, such endorsement is in direct violation of Pakistani laws, which strictly prohibit gambling in all its forms. The petitioner urged the authorities to initiate legal proceedings against Akram under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, arguing that the promotion of gambling platforms undermines legal and moral standards in the country.
So far, Wasim Akram has not issued any public statement in response to the complaint.
The incident comes close to another similar case, in which popular YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, popularly known as “Dickie Bhai”, was detained by the NCCIA for allegedly promoting online betting applications.
