Lahore High Court quashes order to file case against former captain Babar Azam

Lahore High Court quashes order to file case against former captain Babar Azam

By Nawaz Gohar ; The Lahore High Court (LHC) has accepted a petition filed by former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam, setting aside a lower court’s order to register a criminal case against him.

The hearing took place on Thursday regarding allegations of sexual harassment leveled against the former captain. Mr. Justice Asjad Javed Ghural presided over the proceedings. Babar Azam was represented by Barrister Harris Azmat, while legal counsel for the Federal Government, the Punjab Government, and the complainant, Hamiza Mukhtar, were also in attendance.

During the arguments, Barrister Harris Azmat maintained that the complainant had previously filed a baseless application in 2018. He argued that between 2018 and 2020, as Babar Azam’s international fame reached new heights, the woman sent him a legal notice demanding PKR 150 million in damages, alleging sexual harassment under the pretext of a marriage proposal.

The counsel further informed the court that the woman had threatened to file a fresh case if the monetary demand was not met. Following Babar Azam’s refusal to pay, the complainant approached the Justice of Peace for the registration of an FIR. Consequently, an Additional Sessions Judge ordered the registration of the case—an order which the defense argued was legally flawed and failed to meet judicial requirements.

After hearing the arguments from both sides, the Lahore High Court declared the Additional Sessions Judge’s order null and void, subsequently approving Babar Azam’s petition.

It is worth noting that in March 2021, the Lahore High Court had originally suspended the order to register the case and had issued notices to the FIA Cybercrime wing and the complainant for further clarification.