Racy images of Veena Malik printed in the December issue of FHM India have triggered a fury across her conservative Islamic country, with one cleric calling them a “shame for all Muslims”. The photo essay appears to make light of the military rivalry between India and Pakistan, nuclear-armed neighbours that have fought three wars.

In the magazine’s cover photo Ms Malik is shown wearing no clothing, but with her arms and legs discreetly positioned to preserve her modesty. She has the letters “ISI” stencilled on her arm, representing Pakistan’s powerful spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Ms Malik’s lawyer, Ayaz Bilawala, denied the nude cover photo was authentic and said Ms Malik was wearing underwear throughout the shoot. Mr Bilawala said he had sent a notice to the magazine – whose editor insists the photos are authentic – and was filing papers at Mumbai High Court demanding that all copies of the magazine be removed from newsstands. The suit was also seeking 100m rupees (£1.2m) in damages.

“She has been cheated, and there has been tampering,” he said. AP