Court involves police in alleged rape case against Babar Azam

A session court in Lahore asked the police for comments on a petition filed by a woman accusing Pakistani cricket captain Babar Azam of rape, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

The woman, named Hamiza Mukhatar, filed a petition seeking registration of a criminal case against the player. Claiming that Babar allegedly raped her over false promises of marriage, she contended her case in the court of Additional District and Session judge Numan Muhammad Naeem.

Mukhatar claimed that Babar had illicit relations with her and got her pregnant, adding that the player forced her to abort on the promise of marriage. The petitioner also annexed her medical documents as evidence.

The woman revealed that when she tried to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the cricketer in Naseerabad Police Station, Babar made her withdraw the application on marriage re-assurance.

Read: Babar Azam accused of sexual harassment, violence by woman in Lahore

However, after earning fame in the sport Babar refused to marry her, Mukhatar claimed. Following that, the woman said she again approached the concerned police station but they refused to register her statement.

The court, after hearing the petitioner, has now sought comments from the concerned Station House Officer (SHO) by December 4.

The matter first got media’s attention last week when Mukhatar leveled allegations of violence and sexual abuse against Babar in a press conference in Lahore.

The newly appointed all-formats captain is currently in New Zealand for a three-match Twenty20 and two-match Test series against the hosts and could not be reached for a comment.

Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Director of Media and Communications Samiul Hassan, however, said that this was Babar's private matter and that they could not comment on it.

Read: Meesha Shafi dismisses rumours about wanting to date Babar Azam