Pakistani sports presenter Zainab Abbas, who was covering the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, has been forced to leave India citing 'safety concerns'.
An Indian lawyer recently accused Zainab Abbas of having allegedly made anti-Hindu comments with a complaint filed against her.
The lawyer, Vineet Jindal, officially complained about a series of tweets by Abbas from nine years ago which resurfaced on X (formerly known as Twitter).
These tweets are alleged to contain content considered "anti-Hindu" in nature.
Abbas, however, has categorically denied the allegations and claimed she was being unjustly targeted.
Sources close to her say a tweet from Abbas from a different time.
The tweets carry the handle "Zainablovesrk," which has since been changed to "ZAbbas Official," the current active account of Zainab Abbas.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), which has remained silent on the matter, has also been drawn into the controversy since they selected Abbas as the official presenter for the Cricket World Cup.
There was confusion whether Abbas had left India on her own or was deported by Indian authorities.
It is pertinent to note here that Abbas' last post on the platform highlighted how as a Pakistani she shared more "cultural similarities than differences" with India, rivalry on the field but camaraderie off it. "The same language and love for art".
Abbas' departure from India, however, comes amid a host of threats to the Pakistani contingent currently in India to play the World Cup.
Indian authorities have reported that the venues where Pakistan was due to play, particularly in Ahmedabad had been named by unidentified extremists in emails sent to the authorities as targets for bomb attacks if the Pakistanis are allowed to play there.