Lahore Court orders FIA to file case against Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on harassment charges

A sessions court in Lahore has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to file a case against Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on charges of harassment and blackmail.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, the charges, which included two more people alongside Babar, have been filed by Hamiza Mukhtar.

Last year in November, in an explosive press conference, Hamiza had accused Babar of abuse. She claimed to be Babar's school-mate and said that the player had been exploiting her for almost ten years. In a video shared by Pakistan journalist Saj Sadiq, the woman was seen calling for justice. She had also claimed that she went on to support Babar financially when the cricketer had not made it big.

Last year, the woman had approached a court that ordered the police to investigate the matter but the case was never registered. According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, the lady has filed a complaint with FIA, alleging that she had received threatening messages and calls from unidentified people.

The investigation found out that one of the numbers was registered in Pakistan skipper Babar Azam's name. He was then ordered to appear before the FIA but the skipper's brother Faisal Azam appeared and requested more time.

Once the Pakistan skipper didn't appear, the FIA in their original report concluded, "This shows guilty form [sic] his part."

Judge Hamid Hussain on Thursday directed the federal investigating body "to proceed further with respect to registration of the FIR against the culprits within the stipulated time following legal formalities".

"The Honourable High Court in a connected case has already restrained the police from registering the FIR," ESPNcricinfo quoted Babar's legal counsel Barrister Haris Azmat as saying.

"The instant order has been passed without issuing a notice to Babar in violation of his fundamental rights of fair trial as guaranteed in the constitution. The order is prima facie against the law and will be assailed soon," he added.

In her press conference, the lady in November had also claimed that Babar had promised marriage to her in 2010, but he later did not live up to his word as he became a famous cricketer. Babar is currently gearing up to depart for South Africa to play a series of 3 ODIs and 4 T20Is.

(ANI)

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