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