Zainab Abbas, renowned sports presenter from Pakistan, has reportedly left India citing ‘safety concerns’, following allegations of making ‘anti-hindu’ statements on social media, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Monday.
Zainab Abbas was recently in India to cover the ICC World Cup as the official presenter for the International Cricket Council (ICC).
However, her stay took an unexpected turn when an Indian lawyer filed a complaint against her with accusations of making derogatory remarks on social media platforms against India and the Hindu religion.
The Indian lawyer, Vineet Jindal, claimed that he had evidence of Zainab’s anti-Hindu tweets that were posted approximately nine years ago under the username “Zainablovesrk,” which has since been changed to “ZAbbas Official,” the currently active X account of Zainab Abbas.
He alleged that these tweets were offensive and hurtful to the sentiments of millions of Hindus in India and around the world.
Zainab Abbas has categorically denied the allegations and maintains that she has been unjustly targeted. She said that her past social media activity was taken out of context and that her tweets from years ago were unrelated to her work as a presenter and should not have led to her deportation from India. She also said that she had never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings or disrespect any religion.
The ICC is implicated in the controversy surrounding Zainab Abbas’ exit from India, with some alleging that the council failed to intervene due to perceived “Indian propaganda”. The ICC has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
Zainab Abbas is facing accusations that she claims are untrue. Some say there's a deliberate effort to damage her reputation and her role as a journalist.
Zainab's supporters argue that she has always been fair and professional in her work, promoting cultural connections between Pakistan and India.
Zainab is currently in Dubai and has mentioned feeling unsafe in India, which is why she left. She's saddened by the situation because she enjoyed covering the ICC World Cup and interacting with cricket fans from both countries.