Hearing on the bail petition of YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, has been postponed, 24NewsHD reported on Monday.
The hearing could not take place as Justice Shahram Sarwar was on leave, leading to the cancellation of today’s cause list.
Earlier, Justice Farooq Haider had also recused himself from hearing the case.
On November 12, the Lahore High Court (LHC) constituted a new bench to hear the bail petition.
In the petition, the NCCIA Lahore has been made a respondent. The NCCIA initiated action after the gambling app was found to be involved in fraudulent activities and online betting, causing significant financial losses to the public.
Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate extended the judicial remand of the YouTuber for another 14 days.
Ducky Bhai was produced before the district courts after his earlier remand had expired. During the hearing, the court directed submitting the challan against him without further delay.
Ducky Bhai was arrested, while his wife, Arooba Jatoi, secured interim bail. The couple has denied any involvement in illegal promotions, claiming they were unaware of the app’s fraudulent nature.
Authorities, however, maintain that influencers received payments for endorsing the app, and investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of financial transactions and responsibility in the scam.
On August 17, Ducky Bhai was arrested at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport on charges of promoting platforms such as Binomo, 1xBet, Bet365, and B9 Game via his YouTube channel.
The case was registered under Sections 13 (Electronic Forgery), 14 (Electronic Fraud), 25 (Spamming), and 26 (Spoofing) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, as well as Sections 294-B (Offering prize in connection with trade) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The case has sent ripples through Pakistan’s digital community as authorities tighten scrutiny of influencer-driven promotions. Reports suggest that the agency has summoned several other YouTubers for questioning.
With millions of Pakistanis relying on YouTubers and TikTok stars for lifestyle, entertainment, and even financial guidance, the scandal underscores the urgent need for clear guidelines on influencer marketing and advertising ethics.