Babar Azam downplays sexual harassment allegations, says 'it is my personal issue'

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has gone on to say that sexual harassment allegations levelled against him have not affected his game at all. It so happened that a Pakistan court on Thursday ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Babar for allegedly blackmailing and harassing Hamiza Mukthar. 

Hamiza had earlier accused the Pakistani batting sensation of having sexual relations with her on the pretext of marrying her and had lodged a complaint with the FIA after two unknown persons threatened her for filing a case against him. 

'It is my personal issue': Babar Azam 

“It is my personal issue and it is in court. My lawyer is handling it. We face all sorts of hurdles in life and I am used to it. This issue has not affected my form or cricket,” the Pak captain said during a virtual press conference on Friday.

FIA's inquiry on Babar Azam's case

As per reports, FIA's inquiry revealed that the two numbers that Mukhtar had received calls from belonged to Babar Azam and identified the two women as Maryam Ahmed and Salemi Bibi. While Salemi Bibi has not shown up at court despite being served notices thrice, Maryam had claimed she did not know the complainant and has not appeared at the court despite promising to surrender her phone earlier in January. Azam is also yet to make an appearance at the court after his brother Faisal attended the court last on January 18. 

In December 2020, Babar Azam had alleged that the woman claiming to be the victim had been blackmailing him and was demanding Rs 10 million to withdraw her accusations of fraud and harassment. The Pakistan skipper's legal counsel argued that the woman resorted to delaying tactics to prolong the trial. The victim had alleged that Babar Azam had exploited her on several occasions since 2010 before making his way into the country's national team, as per reports in Pakistan media.

Court had ordered FIR against Babar Azam in January

A court in Lahore had ordered the police to register an FIR against Babar Azam and file a case against him on a sexual exploitation complaint earlier in January. The complainant, Hamiza Mukhtar from Lahore, has alleged that the cricketer had sexually exploited her, forced her to have an abortion, and made false promises of marriage. The petitioner annexed her medical documents as evidence.

As per a PTI report, the additional sessions judge, Noman Muhammad Naeem, after hearing arguments of the lawyers of both sides, had directed the SHO of Naseerabad police station to immediately register the FIR against Babar. The judge had remarked that the allegations were disturbing and serious to warrant a full investigation. Hamiza later had confirmed that the FIR has been lodged at the Naseerabad police station. Earlier, another additional sessions judge, Abid Raza had ordered Babar and his family not to harass Hamiza, who had alleged that she was getting threat calls to withdraw the case. The woman had alleged that when she tried to register an FIR against the cricketer at the Naseerabad Police Station, Babar had forced her to withdraw the application on marriage re-assurance.