ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday issued a notice to Senator Rehman Malik on an appeal filed by US blogger Cynthia D. Ritchie against dismissal of her plea seeking registration of a criminal case against Senator Malik over rape allegations.

Through the notice, Justice Aamer Farooq sought reply from Senator Malik by the first week of September.

An additional district and sessions judge had on Aug 5 dismissed a petition of Ms Ritchie seeking registration of a rape case against Senator Malik after a police report termed the complaint baseless.

The police report stated that Ms Ritchie had neither produced any evidence to corroborate the allegation of rape nor had she placed any material on record to show that she had been harassed.

Cynthia has challenged dismissal of her petition seeking registration of rape case against the senator

In her application filed with the Secretariat police station on June 17, Ms Ritchie accused Mr Malik of raping her at his residence in 2011. She also stated that the former interior minister in connivance with former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had employed the Pakistan Peoples Party media cell to intimidate, threaten, harass and defame her on social media.

The police in response to the court order submitted a report stating that Ms Richie had not filed any complaint with the police station regarding her rape allegations back in 2011. The police also maintained that no medical report had been attached with the application as evidence to prove that she had been raped. The report termed the stance of Ms Ritchie doubtful in the absence of substantial evidence and inadequate for registration of an FIR as the police found no truth in it.

In the appeal against dismissal of her plea by the sessions court, Ms Ritchie stated that Senator Malik had committed “heinous cognizable offence” but “no action whatsoever, was taken by police”.

She stated that Senator Malik “is trying to hide under the grab of civil controversy which by no means entitles the accused persons to commit heinous cognizable offences”.

She requested the high court to set aside the order for dismissal of her plea and issue directive for the police to register an FIR against Rehman Malik.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2020