Court Case Could Stop Gambling Apps in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: In a major step aimed at protecting Pakistan’s social, financial, and moral fabric, a citizen has filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking a complete ban on online gambling applications operating in the country.

The petition was filed by Chaudhry Tabir ul Haq, a resident of Islamabad, under Article 199 of the Constitution. He has urged the court to take immediate and decisive action against illegal betting platforms such as Betway, 1xBet, Bet365 and others, which are reportedly functioning unchecked in Pakistan through digital payment channels and aggressive online marketing.

Filed through Barrister Imran Rashid and Advocate Waheed Ur Rehman Qureshi, the petition names multiple key federal institutions as respondents, including the Federation of Pakistan through the Ministry of Interior, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).

According to the petition, gambling operators are exploiting loopholes in Pakistan’s digital payments ecosystem, using platforms like Easypaisa, JazzCash, and SadaPay to process illegal betting transactions disguised as regular transfers.

The petitioner argues that this not only violates Islamic injunctions and national laws — including the Public Gambling Act, 1867, Pakistan Penal Code, and Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 — but also facilitates large-scale money laundering and financial fraud.

The PTA is accused of failing to block gambling platforms despite its powers under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, while the SBP and FIA are criticized for not adequately monitoring or investigating illegal financial flows linked to online gambling.

Citing constitutional provisions such as Articles 2-A, 3, 37(g), and 227, the petitioner has called for a court directive to:

* Ban all gambling applications and block online ads promoting gambling

* Tighten oversight of financial service providers to stop gambling-related transactions

* Order the FIA to investigate and prosecute those facilitating online betting

* Direct PEMRA to ban gambling advertisements and launch nationwide awareness campaigns

The petition also highlights the moral, psychological, and economic harm caused by these platforms, especially among youth and vulnerable segments of society. It warns that continued inaction could damage Pakistan’s standing with global watchdogs like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) due to alleged links with cross-border money laundering and cryptocurrency misuse.

The petitioner has requested the IHC to take any other measures deemed necessary to protect public interest and uphold constitutional mandates.