Careem, the region’s leading ride-hailing app, in an unexpected move announced former Pakistani cricketer and left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram as the company's honorary CEO for a day. As his first act in the role, Akram announced price cuts on GO cars in both Lahore and Karachi.

The drop in prices is significant; fares in Lahore, for instance, can go as low as PKR 100.

"I am excited to announce Wasim Akram as our Honorary CEO of Careem Pakistan," stated Junaid Iqbal, MD Careem Pakistan, via a live video on Careem's official Facebook page. "He is the perfect cultural fit for Careem, and there is no one more qualified than the Sultan of Swing, Wasim Akram to head Careem Pakistan. I am proud to pass the torch to him and I have full confidence that he will bring out the best in our employees, captains and customers.”

MD Careem Junaid Iqbal with honorary CEO Wasim Akram

Post retirement, much like many former cricketers, Akram became a prominent commentator. He then took up the role of the coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Kolkata Knight Riders, and has since helped them get crowned as champions in 2012 and 2014.

As he was announced the honorary CEO of the tech company for just one day, Wasim asked both captains and customers to share one change they would like him to make, given his new authority. At the end of the day, Akram decided to implement a change in Careem’s current fare structure by dropping the prices on its already affordable GO cars. This price cut on GO cars will result in a reduction of 25% on fares in Lahore, and a 20% fare reduction in Karachi.

Careem is the region’s leading ride-hailing service that provides reliable, safe and affordable transportation choices via a mobile app, on the web and through a call center. A pioneer in the region’s ‘sharing economy’, Careem's mission is to make people’s lives simpler and create millions of jobs. Established in July 2012, Careem currently operates in more than 50 cities, across 11 countries in the broader Middle East, including North Africa, Turkey and Pakistan.

This content is a paid advertisement and is not associated with or necessarily reflective of the views of Dawn.com.