Pakistani police investigate ex-world champion

KARACHI, June 9 (Reuters) Pakistani police said today they had registered a complaint against former squash great Jansher Khan after a woman said she had been assaulted over a financial dispute.

Khan, who retired in 1999, won eight world open titles and the prestigious British open six times. He and countryman Jahangir Khan dominated world squash for two decades.

''We have filed assault charges against Jansher and three of his accomplices,'' investigating police officer Dost Mohammad told Reuters from the western city of Peshawar.

He said the woman, Rukhsana Habib, had filed a case in a lower court in Peshawar after a financial dispute with Jansher.

Jansher, contacted by Reuters, declined comment except to deny any assault.

Under the Pakistani legal system, a court examines a police complaint and decides if charges should be laid.

Jansher had been asked to appear before a court for a hearing on June 19, Mohammad said.

The former champion is no stranger to controversy, having had several run-ins with the Pakistan squash federation in his playing days.

REUTERS DH KN1415