LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Rizwan’s petition challenging proceedings and notices issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petition and observed that the petitioner should respond to the show-cause notice and appear before the agency. The court also warned that concealing facts could warrant a substantial fine.
Rizwan’s lawyer, Umar Qazi, argued that the NCCIA had issued notices to the cricketer without justification and pleaded the high court to declare the agency’s proceedings unlawful.
According to the petition, Rizwan had previously responded to allegations through his lawyer, but the NCCIA rejected the response and issued another notice.
The NCCIA had also provided questionnaires to Rizwan and fellow cricketer Imam-ul-Haq, asking both players to submit their responses by September 15. Imam-ul-Haq submitted his answers, while Rizwan reportedly sent his response to the agency by courier.
In his response, Rizwan questioned the reasons for his summons and asked why his mobile phone had not yet been returned. He also sought clarification about the alleged disciplinary violation attributed to him.
The two cricketers had appeared before the NCCIA in Lahore following Pakistan’s tour of England and requested additional time to respond to the agency’s questions.
The agency was investigating matters related to alleged dressing-room leaks during the series against England following a complaint by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The players’ mobile phones were also part of the inquiry.
