LHC dismisses Iqra Kanwal’s plea to have gambling promotion case disposed of
he Lahore High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking to have the gambling promotion case against YouTuber Iqra Kanwal disposed of, 24NewsHD reported.
The petition was heard by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh.
In September, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered the case against her.
Iqra Kanwal’s lawyer argued that the case filed against his client was false and contained incorrect facts, and sought that the court quash the case immediately.
However, the NCCIA counsel opposed the petition, stating that the accused had used her YouTube fame to encourage people to invest in gambling apps, causing financial losses to the public.
The government lawyer emphasised that the court cannot order the quashing of the case before the submission of the investigation report.
He added that the accused’s innocence may emerge after the investigation, and therefore, the petition was not maintainable.
Following the arguments, the court dismissed the request to quash the case.
Authorities have intensified a crackdown on influencers accused of promoting illegal applications, registering multiple cases under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), fraud, and other relevant laws in September.
Besides Iqra Kanwal, influencers Nadeem Naniwala, Rajab Butt, Muhammad Hasnain Shah, Anas Ali, and Hurairah were also booked for allegedly encouraging their followers to invest in mobile applications.
Investigators allege that these influencers knowingly enticed ordinary citizens into fraudulent schemes, putting thousands at financial risk. According to media reports, separate cases have been registered against them.