ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, has launched a province-wide crackdown on illegal advertisements of surrogate betting companies, directing authorities to remove all such promotional material from public spaces.
“There will be no leniency shown towards any illegal advertisements,” said Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari while talking exclusively to The News. “The government has directed the departments concerned to remove all surrogate betting advertisements from billboards, walls and other public spaces.”
Bukhari said that the campaign had already shown results in the provincial capital. “All surrogate betting ads in Lahore have been successfully removed due to the administration’s swift efforts. It will take at least two more days to clear such ads from other major cities of Punjab,” she added.
The latest crackdown follows reports of widespread promotional campaigns by a surrogate betting company associated with a cricketer. The company’s ads, seen across major cities on billboards and walls, had particularly targeted areas frequented by students and young people such as cafes, hostels and universities.
The issue gained national attention after The News highlighted the resurgence of these illegal advertisements.
