E-Paper | June 14, 2026

Police say they lack jurisdiction to proceed against US blogger

Malik Asad Published June 13, 2020
Court hears PPP activist’s petition against Cynthia. — Twitter/File
Court hears PPP activist’s petition against Cynthia. — Twitter/File
comments
Whatsapp Channel
Add Dawn as a trusted source
Google Preferred Source

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Police on Friday told the additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) that they lacked jurisdiction to proceed against US blogger Cynthia D. Ritchie for allegedly defaming slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto on social media.

ADSJ Zeba Chaudhry was hearing an application filed by PPP activist Waqas Abbasi.

Mr Abbasi filed a complaint with the Banigala Police Station for registration of the First Information Report (FIR) against Ms Cynthia. However, the station house officer of the police station told the court that since the case was related to defamation on social media, the cyber crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was the relevant forum for taking up the matter.

Court hears PPP activist’s petition against Cynthia

He said the applicant when approached the police station had been advised to approach the relevant forum for redressal of his grievance.

The US blogger initially tweeted against Ms Bhutto and later she accused former interior minister Rehman Malik of raping her in 2011. She also accused former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani and former minister of health of physically manhandling her.

The police requested the court to consign the application to the record.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2020

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.
Newspaper

Malik Asad is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with two decades of experience covering legal affairs, judicial developments, and the civil bureaucracy. He can be found on X at @asadrp.

Malik Asad

Read more

NoVoice
Jun 13, 2020 09:50am
Strange. Usually, for social media offences by a normal resident of Pakistan, men come in pick-ups in the middle of night and bundle them off. No one knows where they are taken, but no one dares asking either. However, this lady claims to work for the pick up people.
Recommend 0
Kung fu khan
Jun 13, 2020 10:02am
They cannot do anything to her but salute her. She is the loan recovery agent of the US.
Recommend 0
MA
Jun 13, 2020 10:06am
If this was general Pakistani person, he/she would have been if the face of this earth by now. So much to the injustices or justices of Pakistan
Recommend 0
Patriot
Jun 13, 2020 10:07am
Who is protecting this foreign blogger? Why is she beyond the reach of any of the law enforcing agencies? She has been making lots of claims and blaming number of Pakistanis. It is time she proved all her allegations in a court of law. It also beats logic why the accused have not taken her to the courts.
Recommend 0
Indu
Jun 13, 2020 10:19am
Scared of United States.
Recommend 0
Mansur Ul Haque
Jun 13, 2020 10:46am
Who is this woman? Why is she in Pakistan? What was/ is she doing? Why she is revealing this information? Why after such long time? Why particularly at this time? What grudge she has against Benazir Bhutto and People's party? Who planted her? Who is beneficiary of her revelation? How many more revelation are in the pipe line? Who is financing her? Who else should be scared of her presence/ reveailing stories? May be she is blessing in disguise as in future our politicians/ bureaucratese/ business people/--------- will keep distance from such women.
Recommend 0
saeed
Jun 13, 2020 11:05am
@Indu, no scared of those who are backing her here
Recommend 0
AW
Jun 13, 2020 11:11am
Why is police or FIA being approached? Whatever Cynthia Ritchie has said does not violate any laws of Pakistan. At best, the PPP could consider filing a defamation legal petition in the court. On the other hand, she has the right to register an FIR with the police against Rehman Malik for the alleged rape.
Recommend 0
Takeitorleaveit
Jun 13, 2020 11:12am
How can anybody prosecute her. She is under protection from the strongest.
Recommend 0
Abdulmalick Ismail
Jun 13, 2020 11:20am
@Indu, no, scared of the PPP skeletons coming out of the closet.
Recommend 0
Zulfqar Ahmed
Jun 13, 2020 11:25am
Now that's new instructions for the police, one wonders where that came - the government of course - they need such negative publicity of their targetted opponents to deflect public attention from their own incompetence and corruption !
Recommend 0
Jaredlee007
Jun 13, 2020 11:28am
A slap on PPP.
Recommend 0
Kris
Jun 13, 2020 12:05pm
Wonder if she can be charged by US government under Logan Act which prohibits private individuals from negotiating with foreign governments.
Recommend 0
Syed A. Mateen
Jun 13, 2020 12:11pm
The SHO of Banigala Police Station told to ADSJ that they lack jurisdiction to proceed against Cynthia D. Ritchie for allegedly defaming slain PM Benazir Bhutto on social media and does not want to register FIR against Cynthia D. Ritchie on the pretext that the case was related to defamation on social media and cyber crime wing of FIA was the relevant forum for taking up the matter. Whereas, earlier the FIA requested the sessions court to dismiss the plea against US blogger Cynthia D. Ritchie for her slanderous tweets about former prime minister Benazir Bhutto contending that the petitioner PPP Islamabad President Shakeel Abbasi was not a directly affected party. The Police and FIA do not want to get involved in this high profile case, as instead of earning money while sitting in the office and dealing with general public who greased their palms, they will be losing money while spending time on Cynthia D. Ritchie's case as no body will greasing their palms in this particular case.
Recommend 0
Anj
Jun 13, 2020 01:12pm
Accused in Pakistan, cause of action took place in Pakistan, petitioner is Pakistani so what else they require? NOC from whitehouse ?
Recommend 0
Asalam 56
Jun 13, 2020 01:38pm
Would the police be helpless if it was PPP government?
Recommend 0
Parvez
Jun 13, 2020 01:59pm
Its matters not who she is.....what matters is what she's saying.
Recommend 0
Chrís Dăń
Jun 13, 2020 02:32pm
@AW, indeed.
Recommend 0
SHAHZAD
Jun 13, 2020 03:13pm
A pawn launched,like all done when required.
Recommend 0
Singh
Jun 13, 2020 04:05pm
Everybody knows who is all powerful in Pakistan...
Recommend 0
AZAM AKBAR
Jun 13, 2020 05:34pm
@AW, Mr. AW, You are absolutely right.
Recommend 0
MSA (USA)
Jun 13, 2020 06:25pm
@Patriot, May be she is right and they are wrong!
Recommend 0
Farooqui
Jun 13, 2020 09:52pm
Wait a minute, why does everyone want to throw her out and question her status etc. Someone should investigate her side of the story and if true then all accused heads should roll, if possible
Recommend 0
Chrís Dăń
Jun 13, 2020 10:05pm
@MA, indeed.
Recommend 0
Chrís Dăń
Jun 13, 2020 10:06pm
@Parvez, exactly.
Recommend 0

Most Popular

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09

Latest Stories

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
Dawn News English Podcasts
Subscribe