Extending its decision of the suspension of a trial court’s order to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register an FIR against star batsman Babar Azam on the complaint of a woman, who accused him of harassing her, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday summoned the complainant in the case on December 12. LHC Justice Muhammad Waheed Khan heard the case. The Lahore High Court had on March 22, 2021 suspended an order by a sessions court to the FIA to file a case against Babar.

The court pronounced the decision after Haris Azmat, Babar's counsel, told the court that the earlier judgment had been passed without the court having heard the cricketer's point of view on the matter. The batsman had been accused of blackmailing and hurling threats at a woman named Hamiza Mukhtar from Lahore. Hamiza was the same woman, who claimed last year that Babar had sexually exploited her and later forced her to have an abortion and made false promises of marriage.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)