The Lahore High Court has officially dismissed a petition filed by national wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, which challenged the call-up notices issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Justice Alia Neelam, presided over the hearing and subsequently rejected the cricketer’s plea. Rizwan had approached the high court to contest the NCCIA’s jurisdiction and the vague nature of the ongoing inquiry, requesting an immediate stay on the proceedings until a final verdict was reached.
In his petition, Rizwan argued that the agency failed to specify any concrete allegations against him, questioning why the NCCIA was conducting an investigation into unknown charges.
Speaking to the media after the ruling, Rizwan’s legal counsel, Qazi Umair Ali, maintained that the cricketer had already submitted his formal response to the NCCIA notice. Raising concerns over the agency’s mandate, Ali stated that allegations related to online gambling fall under the purview of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit, leaving it unclear what the NCCIA was attempting to investigate.
The legal challenge stems from an ongoing inquiry involving both Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq, who were earlier recalled midway from a tour of England. The agency had issued questionnaires to both players with a deadline of September 15 to submit their replies. While Imam-ul-Haq successfully filed his responses, the inquiry against Rizwan has continued to move forward amidst these legal battles.
