Zainab Abbas was expelled while Vikrant Gupta gets warm welcome: Netizens compare Pakistan, India’s hospitality

Pakistani fans drew comparisons between their country's hospitality and that of neighboring India after sports anchor Vikrant Gupta received a warm reception in Lahore. Many recalled how Pakistani sports presenter Zainab Abbas was forced to leave India during the ICC World Cup 2023.

Before his visit to Pakistan, Gupta had strongly supported the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s decision to avoid traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy matches. He also echoed the Indian government's accusations of terrorism against Islamabad.

Despite his previous stance, Gupta applied for a permit to cover the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, raising eyebrows in India. Critics pointed out the contradiction, he had earlier claimed Pakistan was unsafe, yet he chose to travel there himself.

Read: Journalist who supported BCCI’s decision against touring Pakistan enjoys his stay in Lahore

Upon his arrival, Gupta was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from Pakistanis, freely roaming the streets of Lahore and engaging with locals despite his earlier safety concerns.

This hospitality led many Pakistanis to recall Zainab Abbas's treatment in India.

During the 2023 World Cup, Abbas was forced to leave India after her old tweets were deemed offensive to Hinduism. A lawyer also filed a complaint against her, and she faced significant backlash from Indian social media users, who demanded her deportation.

Check: Indian cricket fans in awe as Pakistani crowd cheers for Virat Kohli’s century

Following the uproar, Abbas issued a clarification and an apology for her past remarks. However, an ICC spokesperson claimed she left India due to "personal reasons."

Seeing Vikrant Gupta, who previously accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism, being warmly welcomed, many Pakistanis remarked that their neighboring country is not accustomed to honoring its guests in the same way.

In an interview, Gupta himself acknowledged the warm reception he received in Pakistan, despite India's victory over Pakistan in the tournament.

He noted that Pakistani fans were huge admirers of Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, stating that he "only saw love for Indian cricket in Pakistan."

Here’s how Pakistani fans reacted to Vikrant Gupta’s visit: