ISLAMABAD: US blogger Cynthia D. Ritchie on Tuesday moved a local court for registration of a first information report (FIA) against former interior minister Rehman Malik on the issue of harassment.

Ms Ritchie submitted her application to an additional district and sessions judge under Section 22-A of the Criminal Procedure Code, seeking a directive for the Islamabad police to register an FIR against Rehman Malik, the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior.

The court issued a notice to the Secretariat police station and sought its comments by June 27.

The Islamabad High Court had on Monday dismissed Ms Ritchie’s petition that challenged an order to the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber Crime Wing to proceed against her in connection with her alleged defamatory tweets against slain chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto.

After the court’s proceedings, the US citizen tried to dispel the impression that she ever intended to ridicule or defame Ms Bhutto. She accused Rehman Malik of telling her “horrific stories” of the deceased leader.

In response to Ms Ritchie’s fresh onslaught, former interior minister Malik served another defamation notice on the US citizen.

“As a matter of fact and the legal notice states that Senator Rehman Malik has never [had] any such conversation with her and he cannot even think about such false allegation,” the notice said.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2020