Daily Times

Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday suspended the proceeding of session court’s order to lodge a case against Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam on harassment charges.

The order was passed in the high court today during a hearing at the request of Babar Azam.

Earlier on, a sessions court in Lahore had directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to file a case against Babar on account of harassment and blackmail accusations by Hamiza Mukhtar.

The order was passed on the petition of a woman named Hamiza Mukhtar, she alleged that she was receiving threatening messages from different numbers, one of which was registered on the name of Muhammad Babar Azam, FIA revealed in a report.

Responding to the court’s orders, Azam’s lawyer, Barrister Haris Azmat, had contested that the court’s order was against the cricketer’s basic human rights as it was issued in his absence.

Azam’s counsel stressed in his petition in the LHC that the order to file case is against the Cyber Crime Rules 2018 and it should be suspended until the final verdict is issued regarding the matter.

“The trial court did not hear Babar Azam’s position before filing the case,” the lawyer said. Petitioner Babar Azam is innocent; he seeks justice from the court.”

The LHC today issued notice to summon Hamiza Mukhtar, asking her to present her case herself or through her lawyer.