LHC quashes case against former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam

2026-03-28 - 10:30

LAHORE – In a major relief for former Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam, the Lahore High Court has nullified a case that had been filed against him, issuing a written verdict in his favor. LHC Justice Asjad Javed Gharal issued an eight-page written verdict on the petition, hearing arguments from Babar Azam’s counsel, Barrister Haris Azmat. The court accepted Babar Azam’s petition challenging the registration of a case against him and declared the order to lodge the case null and void. Babar Azam had filed the petition against a directive issued by a Justice of the Peace, which had instructed the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) following a complaint by a woman named Humza Mukhtar. The woman had alleged that Babar Azam had promised marriage and established a relationship under false pretenses. The court held in its decision that the woman claimed the relationship had lasted for nearly eight years, during which she alleged she became pregnant in 2015 and that the pregnancy was later terminated. She also claimed that Babar Azam had obtained a significant sum of money from her and eventually refused to marry her. After reviewing detailed arguments from both parties and examining the case record, the court observed that the allegations appeared unreliable. The court highlighted that remaining silent for eight years before raising such claims was unusual and questioned the timing of the allegations. The verdict further stated that merely claiming a promise of marriage does not justify such a long delay, and no concrete evidence had been presented to support the allegations. The Justice of the Peace had issued the FIR without conducting an adequate inquiry, which the high court found to be inconsistent with the law. The court declared the order of the Justice of the Peace to register the case against Babar Azam null and void, providing the cricket star with a significant legal relief. Golfer Tiger Woods arrested in Florida over alleged traffic incident