A court in Lahore has extended the physical remand of popular Pakistani YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, for the fifth time, granting the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) two more days of custody.

Rehman is under investigation for allegedly promoting illegal gambling applications through his YouTube channel. The case was filed by the state on August 17 under multiple sections of Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, including electronic fraud, forgery and spam, along with Pakistan Penal Code sections 294-B and 420.

During the court hearing, the NCCIA argued that forensic analysis of seized electronic devices is still going on.  Rehman’s lawyer contested the need for extended custody, claiming financial records could be obtained without detention and questioning the actual monetary harm caused to users.

Despite objections, Rehman stated through his lawyer that he had no issue with further remand if it helps complete the investigation. The court urged the agency to expedite its probe.

Meanwhile, the court ordered the agency to complete its investigation against the YouTuber as soon as possible.

It is expected that the agency will finalize its ongoing investigation during this remand and Rehman will be formally produced in court again at the end of this extended remand.

The outcome of the investigation may have broader implications for social media regulations and influencer accountability in Pakistan.

Earlier, Ducky Bhai had filed an appeal against a Lahore judicial magistrate’s decision to extend his physical remand to the NCCIA