The Foreign Office (FO) has shown concern on the lawsuit brought against Zainab Abbas, a well-known and well-recognized Pakistani cricket presenter who had to shorten her stay in India. The FO described the case as “not an appreciable step” and stated its concern regarding the issue.
FO condemns case against Zainab: At her regularly scheduled press conference on Thursday, FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch emphasised that India, as the host nation for the ICC World Cup 2023, had a responsibility to guarantee the safety and a favourable atmosphere for the Pakistani cricket team.
Zainab Abbas claimed that “personal reasons” were the cause of her early departure from India. However, several media reports from India alleged that she made her choice due to security reasons. These issues came to light as a result of a complaint made against her in Delhi by a local attorney who claimed she had previously tweeted “derogatory” things about Hinduism. The accusation was based on screenshots of tweets that were purportedly sent in 2014 by an account connected to Abbas.
The FO spokeswoman reiterated that Zainab Abbas has been unjustly implicate in the situation, arguing that the case filed against her in India is an unjustified move. Regarding the arrangements for visas for Pakistani journalists and fans, the ministry continues to communicate with the Indian authorities, she noted.
Zainab’s departure from India was verified by an ICC representative, C Rajshekhar Rao, who insisted that it was for personal reasons and not because she was being deported. He made no mention of the precise reasons for her leaving or her whereabouts at the moment.
An Indian news website reports that on October 4, attorney Vineet Jindal submitted a cyber complaint against Zainab to the New Delhi police’s cyber cell, asking for the creation of a case against her for “making disparaging remarks about Hinduism and anti-India statements.”
“Jindal’s Letter and Zainab Abbas’s Response to Allegations”
On October 7, Jindal compose a letter to Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI), in which he requested that the Pakistani presenter be punish for her allegedly anti-India remarks. Jindal also prepared a redacted copy of the letter.
However, Unnamed sources in a Pakistani news outlet reported that Zainab Abbas vehemently denied the accusations and claimed that she had been unfairly single out. Additionally, the report indicate that her previous social media activity had been misinterprete and had no relation to her work as a broadcaster.