Pakistan skipper Babar Azam refutes exploitation allegations, claims 'being blackmailed'

After being accused of sexual exploitation, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has alleged that the woman claiming to be the victim has been blackmailing the cricketer and is demanding Rs 10 million to withdraw her accusations of fraud and harassment. The Pakistan skipper's legal counsel has argued that the woman has resorted to delaying tactics to prolong the trial. Azam is currently with the Pakistan national team in for the Test series. 

Arguing for Azam at a sessions court in Lahore on Wednesday, his legal counsel said that the girl had first demanded Rs 10 million to drop her case and then reduced her demand to Rs 2 million, but he insisted his client would "not pay a single paisa" as "all her allegations were baseless".

"She is trying to defame and harass my client knowing he is a famous personality," Azam's counsel submitted to the court.
He also asked the sessions court judge to summon Hamiza's lawyer and direct him to conclude his arguments in the case. The court has adjourned its hearing and issued directives that the lawyer for the girl appear and read out his arguments, as per PTI. 

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Sensational accusations against Azam 

Earlier in November when Babar Azam had travelled to New Zealand, he was accused of sexual and domestic violence. The victim had alleged that Babar Azam had exploited her on several occasions since 2010 before making his way into the country's national team, as per reports in Pakistan media. 

The victim has alleged that she had filed a complaint with the Police in 2017 at the Nasirabad station. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, she said, "In 2010, he proposed to me and I accepted it. As time progressed, we also planned to get married. We also told our families but they refused. So in 2011, we eloped and kept telling that we would get married in a court. We would live at several rented houses and always kept avoiding marriage." 

Moreover, the victim has claimed that she also filed a complaint 10 days ago before he left for the tour of New Zealand. She has alleged that before leaving for New Zealand, the Pakistani skipper had called her and threatened her to take back her complaint otherwise she would have to face the consequences. She also went on to claim that she had been travelling with Babar Azam on several tours and claimed to have call records as proof. Furthermore, she has stated that she had approached the PCB and the police as well but received no response. 

In October 2019, Babar Azam was named captain of the Pakistan cricket team in T20Is, ahead of the Australia series. Seven months later, i.e. in May 2020, the batting sensation was appointed as ODI captain as well. Azam was officially named the Men In Green's Test skipper in November 2020  ahead of their tour to New Zealand.