Islamabad: On Thursday, Pakistan regretted registering a case against ICC World Cup presenter Zainab Abbas in India and denounced the Narendra Modi government for creating an “unnecessary” controversy against her.
“The case against Zainab Abbas on unnecessary tweets is not appropriate. Zainab is being dragged into an unjustified case,” Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said when asked about the issue during the weekly press briefing.
Baloch said that as the host of the mega event, it is India’s “responsibility” to provide security to the participants. She added that India is also responsible for providing a favourable environment for the Pakistani cricket team.
World Cup 2023 presenter Zainab left India earlier this week after an Indian lawyer filed a complaint against her over alleged “anti-Hindu” statements.
As the news of her leaving India emerged, it was claimed India deported her.
However, a spokesperson for the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed to Republic news that the presenter had left the country for “personal reasons” and dismissed deportation reports.
An Indian lawyer had reportedly approached the police to register a complaint against Abbas for allegedly issuing statements against India and Hinduism.
Abbas was announced as one of the presenters for this year’s World Cup earlier this month. The presenter was excited about the opportunity to travel to India when the announcement was made.
