LAHORE, Dec 19: A civil judge on Thursday issued notice to cricketer Wasim Akram for Jan 7 on a damages suit filed against him for having appeared in a liquor commercial.

The suit which had been filed before the senior civil judge was marked to the civil judge for further proceedings.

Fiaz Ahmad pleaded that in a television commercial screened on Nov 23, Wasim was shown to have conveyed to the viewers that the advertised liquor brand was the source of his physical energy and joy.

According to the plaintiff, this act on part of Wasim Akram is un-Islamic and against the norms of an Islamic society. He has claimed to have suffered severe mental shock and has demanded Rs24,000 as damages.

Judgment reserved: The final verdict in a reference against former cooperatives secretary Javed Iqbal Bukhari and co-accused was reserved till Jan 7, after the final arguments from both sides got completed.

Iqbal Bukhari has been accused of having got a loan of Rs23.986 million sanctioned illegally out of the Service Commercial Credit Cooperative Limited with the abetment of its director, Ejaz Ahmad Awan, in 1987.

He defaulted in the payment of loan, and the total amount due from the two accused has been calculated to the tune of Rs91.26 million.