Rizwan vs NCCIA: LHC directs agency not to 'harass' cricketer, orders batsman to cooperate in inquiry

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has restrained the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) from causing any “harassment” to cricketer Mohammad Rizwan in connection with an inquiry initiated against him, it emerged on Monday. She has also instructed the wicketkeeper-batsman to join and cooperate in the inquiry proceedings. The instructions were stated in a written court order of a Sept 17 hearing held on Rizwan’s plea against the NCCIA inquiry and a call-up notice to him. The order said the petition had been dismissed. At the Sept 17 hearing, Justice Neelum had refused to entertain the plea and directed Rizwan’s lawyer to submit a written response to the NCCIA notice first. “A call-up notice is merely a procedural mechanism for gathering information and does not by itself amount to an accusation of wrongdoing,” she said in her order.

The petitioner had asked the court to declare the call-up notice illegal. However, CJ Neelum ruled that the inquiry was neither without jurisdiction nor tainted by malice, but aimed at uncovering and eradicating corruption in sport, and therefore could not be interfered with at this preliminary stage. Rizwan and fellow cricketer Imamul Haq had appeared before the NCCIA on Sept 10 following the notices being served to them, but the former had later challenged the inquiry and the agency’s notice in the LHC. The arguments During the arguments, Deputy Attorney General Rafaqat Ali Dogar told the court that the inquiry revolved around allegations of electronic fraud under Section 14 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, (Peca) “arising from information said to have been obtained through cyber patrolling that connected the petitioner to the matter”. Advocate Qazi Umair Ali, the counsel for Rizwan, had…