The Lahore High Court (LHC) Friday suspended a sessions court order directing the police to register a case against Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam on a complaint of a woman accusing the cricketer of sexual harassment, reported 24News HD TV Channel.

LHC’s Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural, while suspending the order, also directed the Naseerabad SHO and Hamiza Mukhtar to submit their responses in the case by February 8.

In the petition, Azam has stated that the sessions court ordered the registering of the case against him while ignoring facts. His counsel contended that Hamiza had filed a “fake case" against Azam to “blackmail” him.

He said that the woman settled the case with Azam in 2018. The petition added that the police have also rejected the claim of Hamiza receiving threatening calls from his client. Azam urged the court to declare the order of the sessions court illegal.

On Thursday, a sessions court had directed Naseerabad police to record the statement of the woman who accused Azam of sexually assaulting her.

The woman, identified as Hamiza Mukhtar, had filed a petition against Babar at the sessions court in December 2020, in which she claimed to be the batsman's neighbour and old school mate.

She said the cricketer had "tricked her into love" and "tortured" her when she demanded he marries her. She further alleged that she financially supported Babar when he was a "struggling cricketer," adding that she spent "millions of rupees on him".

A counsel for the petitioner had argued before the court that Babar allegedly raped their client under the false pretext of marriage.

On Thursday a video of Hamiza Mukhtar’s affidavit to withdraw a case against Babar Azam in 2018 has been surfaced.

The footage showed lawyer Khawaja Mohsin Abbas reading the text of affidavit in which she admitted that she took the step at the behest of some friends who were jealous of Babar Azam’s fame.

Hamiza said she has never been in ‘relationship’ with Babar Azam and she wanted her petition withdrawn as she had a guilty conscience and The act was based upon mala fide intension.

In the affidavit, she said she was doing so without any pressure and fear and action should be taken against her if she repeats such an act. Muhammad Sohail Amjad was a witness.