Old anti-India tweets haunt Pakistan World Cup presenter Zainab Abbas; leaves country over 'safety concerns'
Pakistani World Cup 2023 presenter Zainab Abbas has reportedly left India over 'safety concerns' following a legal complaint against her for old anti-India and anti-Hindu tweets. Some unconfirmed reports claim she was deported.
FollowPakistani sports journalist Zainab Abbas, who was in India to cover the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, has reportedly left the country over 'safety concerns' following legal troubles over her old tweets against India and Hindus. Some unverified reports claimed that the Pakistani presenter was deported from the country, however, no official confirmation of the same has come to light so far.Â
Pakistan's Samaa TV had earlier tweeted about the deportation of Zainab Abbas but later deleted the post. It later said that the Pakistani sports presenter left India due to safety concerns. “Pakistani sports presenter Zainab Abbas has safely exited India over "safety concerns". She is currently in Dubai; allegations involve #cybercrime and old anti-India tweets," it stated.
Zainab Abbas' exit from the country comes just days before the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14.
According to reports, Zainab Abbas left India after a lawyer Vineet Jindal filed a cyber complaint against her, accusing her of making derogatory remarks on social media in the past against India and Hindus. The lawyer has alleged that the tweets were posted from the Twitter handle “Zainablovesrk" which has been changed to “ZAbbas Official", the current handle of the Pakistani sports journalist.
“Complaint letter sent by @vineetJindal19 to @BCCI and @HMOIndia seeking removal of Zainab Abbas @ZAbbasOfficial as the presenter at the ICC World Cup 2023 for her derogatory and provocative posts against Bharat and Hindu Dharma. ‘Athiti devo bhava’ only for those who respect our country & Hindu Dharma but Anti Bharatiya are not welcome on Our Land," wrote the lawyer in his complaint.
According to reports, one of Zainab Abbas' old tweets allegedly stated, "This 120 crore population can’t produce one fast bowler. Eat some f*c*ing meat u shud shakaharis."
She is also accused of writing in one of her old posts, "..true it does Man went Delhi, and it smells of cow piss. Oops, that’s their maa Kaali maa."
Taking to X, advocate Vineet Jindal informed about the complaint filed with the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police. He requested that an FIR be filed against Zainab Abbas under sections 153A, 295, 506, 121 IPC and sec 67 IT Act for disparaging remarks about Hinduism and anti-India statements.Â
While flying to India, Zainab Abbas had expressed excitement over her travel to the country. She wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “There was always intrigue on what lies on the other side, more cultural similarities than differences, rivals on the field but camaraderie off the field, the same language & love for art & a country with a billion people, here to represent, to create content & bring in expertise from the best in the business. Humbled to be presenting in India at the Cricket WC2023 for the @ICC again, a journey away from home of 6 weeks starts now."
The news of Zainab Abbas leaving India has sparked anger among Pakistani cricket enthusiasts, leading to criticism directed at India and accusations of intolerance. Some fans contended that India's actions were indicative of a lack of tolerance.
One user named Shehryar expressed his thoughts on X, saying, "After observing the situation regarding Zainab Abbas, I've developed sympathy for Irfan Pathan... He does all this for the safety of himself and his family... India is perceived as highly intolerant, insecure, and influenced by extremist groups like RSS."
Samaa TV sports journalist Qadir Khawaja went further, labeling India as a "coward" for its decision to "deport" Zainab. He highlighted that Zainab had been considered a guest but was deported following a complaint filed by a lawyer.
User Rubab strongly criticized India for Zainab Abbas's departure, stating, "Zainab Abbas has left India. (Samaa TV). Shame on you, India. You don't deserve to host the World Cup. India's hosting of the World Cup is arguably the worst in history. This is disappointing coming from our neighbors."
