LHC summons woman complainant in sexual harassment case against Babar Azam

Babar Azam has challenged lower court's ruling in sexual harassment case

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The Lahore High Court has summoned the woman who filed a sexual harassment case against Pakistan cricket star Babar Azam for the next hearing on December 12.

The Lahore High Court heard the case challenging the trial court’s order to register the case against Babar Azam, Express News reported.

Justice Mohammad Waheed Khan issued the order on the petition of former cricket team captain Babar Azam, with Barrister Haris Azmat representing him.

The court extended the stay order on the decision to register the case.

Babar Azam has challenged the trial court's order in the Lahore High Court. A further hearing of Babar Azam's petition will take place on December 12.

Few years ago, Hamiza Mukhtar, contended that she and Babur Azam had a relationship that continued for a long time.

She claimed that she later conceived but Azam had her abort the child, consoling her and promising to marry her, saying it won't be good for them to have a child before marriage.

Attaching all medical documents to prove her abortion and her relation with Azam, she told the court that she approached the Naseerabad police to have an FIR registered against Azam.

However, the matter between them was resolved following Azam's assurance that he will marry her.

She alleges that she, once again, approached the police station to get an FIR registered against the accused, but the concerned police seemed reluctant in registering it.

The respondent further added that she requests the court to issue directives to concerned quarters to register an FIR against Azam for blackmailing and fornicating with her in the name of marriage.

But later the police disproved allegation of harassment, levelled against Babar Azam.

A report by officials was submitted in the court of additional district and sessions Judge Abid Raza Khan in connection with the 'harassment petition' filed by Mukhtar, seeking direction to restrain police from 'harassing and blackmailing' her and her family members.

The police report revealed that “neither petitioner Hamiza nor her family members were blackmailed and harassed by police at the behest of Babar Azam’s family. So the allegation levelled by her to the extent of ‘harassing, blackmailing and pressuring’ is proved false.

The judge also disposed of the petition, directing the respondents – Babar Azam’s family members and Defense-A police – to “follow the law as nobody is above the law and remain within the four corners of law and not to cause undue and unlawful harassment to the petitioner”.

The order further added, “it is the fundamental right of every citizen of Pakistan to be dealt with in accordance with law under article 4 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Article 14 of the Constitution of Pakistan protects the dignity of privacy of man. Article 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan provides that all citizens are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law. Article 9 of the Constitution of Pakistan protects the life and liberty of the citizen. However, this direction shall have no effect on the legal action against the petitioner”.