Ministry of Interior has denied the request of a further extension in the visa of American blogger Cynthia Ritchie, telling her to leave the country within 15 days.
Earlier, the Interior Ministry had changed its stance on Ritchie’s stay in Pakistan and told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that she was not associated with any government institution of the country.
The court had on Tuesday sought the business visa policy from the ministry on September 22 in the case seeking Ritchie’s deportation. The additional attorney general had informed the court that the blogger had stated before the ministry that she was not associated with any government institution of the country.
At this, Chief Justice Athar Minallah noted that previously the ministry’s stance was that Ritchie was serving some government institution in Pakistan. He said the ministry had not adopted a clear stance on the matter so far.
Expressing displeasure with the representative of the Interior Ministry, the bench remarked what orders the ministry had passed.
“Is there any law or policy?” the chief justice asked.
He also asked whether the ministry had any documents, which tell the visa policy for foreigners.
The court asked if tomorrow someone came on a business visa and gave a statement against the prime minister, would they be would be treated in the same way.
The bench also ordered the lower court to decide the registration of First Information Report (FIR) against Ritchie after listening to the matter again.
The court also stopped the blogger from giving any controversial statements against politicians, to which she had assured the court that she would not give any controversial statements against any politician.
Islamabad-based American Blogger Cynthia Ritchie’s stay in Pakistan has been cleared by the government as the Interior Ministry has said that she won’t be deported.
“Cynthia Ritchie can stay in the country till August 31,” the Interior Ministry said in an order, a written copy of which was submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) during the hearing of the blogger’s case on Friday.
“I’m surprised that the petitioner is not present in the court today,” Ritchie said while speaking to the media outside the court. “In America, it’s compulsory for both the petitioner and defendant to be present in court for every hearing.”
The blogger said that she was happy that the ministry had passed a decision in her favour, which comes a month after an additional district and sessions judge on June 15 directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to file a case against her for passing defamatory remarks about the late former prime minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto on social media.
Ritchie had approached the IHC, challenging the ruling, while naming the justice of peace — lower court judge –, the FIA and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) as respondents in the case.
Former Punjab governor and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Latif Khosa has, however, said that he was not satisfied with the decision and will be challenging it. “This is an attempt to mislead the court by the secretary of the Interior Ministry,” he remarked.
The interior ministry’s report has tried to dismiss PPP’s plea as it says that Ritchie has a visa and she’s not involved in any criminal activities, Khosa said. “We will prove the reality behind Ritchie and make sure that she’s deported.”
He added that his party had lost faith in the federal government which was why they had approached the court.
American blogger Cynthia Ritchie has doubled down on accusation and claimed that she had been harassed by multiple political leaders during her time in Pakistan.
In an interview with a local news outlet, she revealed detailed of alleged harassment by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwarts Yousaf Raza Gillani, Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Rehman Malik.
She said that after Osama bin Laden was killed, Malik, who was the interior minister at the time, asked her to visit the minister’s enclave to discuss her visa. She added that she agreed because some officials told her that “real business is done out of the office”.
Cynthia said that when she visited the minister’s enclave, she was welcomed with flowers and was offered a drink. “About a drink and a half into my visit, I felt dizzy and the next thing I remember is he getting me to sit down and I was in his bed,” she claimed.
She also claimed that Malik’s driver helped her dress up and told her that they wanted her to distance herself from the NGO she was working in since it was run by Azam Swati’s daughter and the politician had recently joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
She said that the driver put 2,000 pounds into the car with her and made her take it with her. She added that the Malik also gifted her a mobile phone which was used to spy on her.
She said that she was also harassed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and they stole her ‘Emerging Pakistan’ idea.
She further said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had been more civil and she has more respect for them than she has for the PPP.
Responding to a question, Cynthia denied working for intelligence agencies.
When the interviewer contacted Gillani and Shahabuddin, both denied the allegations.
In a shocking development, a former prime minister (PM) and two of his cabinet members have been accused of manhandling and sexually assaulting Islamabad-based United States (US) blogger nine years ago.
As per the details, Cynthia Dawn Ritchie has accused some of the top Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders of subjecting her to the treatment during the party’s third tenure in Centre from 2008 to 2013, also alleging that PPP stalwart and then federal minister for interior Rehman Malik raped her — an accusation denied by both Malik and then PM Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani.
The accusation comes a week after the blogger posted some controversial tweets involving slain former PM Benazir Bhutto which attracted a load of criticism and cyberharassment both from party’s local leadership and its support base.
“In 2011, I was raped by the former interior minister Rehman Malik. That’s right, I’ll say it again. I was raped by the then interior minister Rehman Malik,” Ritchie said in the live video on her Facebook page.
She also accused former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin of “physically manhandling” her while the former was staying at the “President’s House”.
Ritchie said she was reserving “some of the more graphic details” because her audience could include children, but added that she would be “happy to go into more detail” with neutral investigative journalists.
The blogger alleged that she has endured harassment “primarily from the PPP” for a number of years now. “I have received countless threats against my life, rape threats, claims that PPP has my father,” she claimed, adding that she has “evidentiary support” of everything she has been posting.
Ritchie also said she had informed about the incident to “someone” at the US Embassy in 2011, “but due to ‘fluid’ situation and ‘complex’ relations between US and Pakistan, [the] response was less than adequate”.
And, yes, I did tell someone at the UsEmb in 2011, but due to ‘fluid’ situation and ‘complex’ relations between US and Pakistan, response was less than adequate.
I’ve been engaged to a wonderful man who I met in . He encouraged me to speak out, so we can move on as a couple. https://t.co/PpfdF9Fuib
— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) June 5, 2020
The US embassy in Pakistan has not reacted to the claims as of yet.
ACCUSED DENY CLAIMS:
In their responses, both Gillani and Malik strongly denied the accusations.
Gilani said that he even considered responding to such allegations “humiliation and disgrace”.
Talking to a private news channel on Friday, the former premier questioned as to what Richie was doing at the Presidency when she was allegedly manhandled, and why she had been staying in Pakistan.
Interestingly, it was Gillani himself who in 2010, through the Ministry of Interior which was then headed by Malik, empowered then Pakistan ambassador in Washington Hussain Haqqani to directly issue diplomatic visas to Americans without clearance of relevant authorities.
The former premier further alleged that the blogger had come to Pakistan as part of a campaign to malign politicians.
Gillani claimed that Ritchie was maligning him because his two sons had filed a defamation case against her for her allegedly defamatory tweet against Benazir.
I had gone to the @cybercrimefia against cynthia’s baseless allegations on our party leader, late Benazir Bhutto shaheed. So this #muftkhorcynthia decided to attack my father former prime minster Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. He has responded to her filthy allegation.1/3 https://t.co/oHB8gIW3zj
— Ali Haider Gilani (@ahaidergilani86) June 5, 2020
The PPP has also lodged a complaint with the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against her for making “extremely derogatory and slanderous remarks” against Benazir.
Malik, in his response, called the allegations “baseless, shameful, and inappropriate”.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the former minister said that the purpose behind the allegations was to damage the reputation of the PPP leader.
While support pours in for the US blogger, a number of people are also engaging in war of words over social media over the validity of her claims.
Former ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has written to the director general (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), seeking action against Pakistan-based American blogger and columnist Cynthia D Ritchie over her “hateful comments and slander” against the late former prime minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto.
As per the details, Ritchie made the comment on a tweet discussing the recent violent confrontation between model Uzma Khan and a woman named Amna Usman, who accused the model of having a relationship with her husband of 13 years and used this allegation to justify her violent treatment of the model.
This echos stories of what BB used to do when her husband cheated. She”d have the guards rape the women.
Why do women condone this rape culture? Why aren’t the men ever held accountable? Where is the justice system?
— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) May 28, 2020
Ritchie’s tweet garnered a strong reaction from PPP leaders and supporters, with Sherry Rehman saying, “Attributing such filth to a champion for women’s rights, a martyred prime minister degrades the writer of this bot-handle more than anything else.”
I usually don’t dignify such garbage but this is libellous,heinous slander based on malicious lies. Attributing such filth to a champion for women’s rights, a martyred prime minister degrades the writer of this bot-handle more than anything else. @Twitter pl take notice of abuse https://t.co/V7JqV2yG5M
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) May 28, 2020
While Ritchie is since continuing her tirade against the PPP over the micro-blogging website, former PPP senator Sehar Kamran has written to spymaster Faiz Hameed, seeking an investigation into the “notorious activities” of Ritchie.
In the letter, a copy of which is available with The Current, Kamran highlighted how the American columnist has “time and again instigated controversy” and is also playing a role in “deepening the civil-military divide”.
“The imagery presented by her pictures with military leadership and senior bureaucracy, and access as a foreign tourist to generally sensitive locations ([erstwhile] FATA [Federally Administrated Tribal Areas], Kashmir, etc) is deepening the civil-military divide by unnecessarily implicating national institutions as her support base. It may be useful at this juncture to further investigate all of Ms Ritchie’s activities, which I am certain range beyond her social media commentaries, to protect our national interests,” read the letter.
The excerpt was followed by a list of questions:
Why and in what capacity is Ms Ritchie a resident in Pakistan?
What is the nature and duration of her visa status?
Who is her sponsor to this end?
A regular expat who initially introduced herself as a ‘tourist’ and a ‘belly dancer’ has somehow become embroiled in Pakistani politics, by her own assertion at the highest levels? How?
What Is the purpose behind her provoking public sentiment, and furthering bitterness in an already politically polarised society?
Furthermore, why is her vitriol targeted towards Sindh, and has conveniently emerged at a time when the province was receiving praise and support for its efforts in the fight against COVID-19?
What is the official government policy on the continued presence of such suspicious characters in Pakistan?
While the PPP leader also sought Ritchie’s deportation, here’s what the blogger hit back with:
Hysterical PPP! Most of all, I’m honoured that you labeled me as a “belly dancer”- of which I’ve NEVER done.
The only problem is that your party is going down the drain – as it rightly should. You’ve plundered the country long enough & connections to PTM show your true colours. pic.twitter.com/E8SxSqMTeM
— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) May 29, 2020
As neither side appears to be going easy on each other, a war of words is continuing over Twitter.
Separately, in a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), an advocate at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Islamabad president of the PPP, Shakeel Abbasi, has also sought action against Ritchie for her “very derogatory and slanderous remarks” about Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari’s marital life.
Former foreign media head of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a close aide of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Anila Khawaja, has been called out for showing up at a private New Year’s Eve party “without being invited to it”.
Khawaja was called out by the host, Islamabad-based American blogger and former goodwill ambassador to Pakistan, Cynthia D Ritchie, after she trained guns at the latter for being “a foreigner who broke traditions of good grace and hospitality, and behaved rudely”.
“When will we learn to stand together and be respected on r [sic] own soil let alone abroad,” Khawaja tweeted.
2020 ..NYE Pakistanis silently stood like tamashbeen while a foreigner broke with all our traditions of good grace & hospitality to behave exceptionally rudely with their fellow citizen. When will we ever learn to stand together and be respected on r own soil let alone abroad! pic.twitter.com/8ksGgdqdSw
Reacting to Khawaja’s claim, Ritchie didn’t go easy on her and pointed out how the ex-PTI foreign media head hadn’t even been invited to the party.
You & 2 others came to my private party without an invitation. I was responsible for the guest list. You weren’t on it. Why? Because of your crazed behaviour over the years. It’s rude to show up without an invite. Learn some manners.Get over your entitlement. Our party. Our rules https://t.co/c5DzJrVWQh
“I know who you really are as a person: you’re threatening to write a tell-all about IK [Imran Khan] if certain things don’t go your way,” she said in a subsequent tweet.
Am I’m not the only foreigner @anilakhawaja – don’t forget your status; & don’t feign graciousness & piousness. I know who you really are as a person: your threatening to write a tell all book about IK if certain things didn’t go your way. All of which is thoroughly documented. https://t.co/8QupW04Bcx
Anila is claiming on WhatsApp forums I “lied” about another guest not being invited. That guest, like all guests, was required to RSVP & provide names/nationalities of their guests. He didn’t & wasn’t on the list. @PTIofficial your ‘foreign media head’ is (again) causing problems https://t.co/8QupW04Bcx
1/2 This is Anila… I blurred her number out of courtesy. She and another lady who were not invited came with a man who did not RSVP, and all guests were required to RSVP with their +1 name and Nationality. He did none of the above, so we was not on the list. Anila blocks me… pic.twitter.com/D2xrVwZBM9
2/2 Anila blocks me on Twitter then uses my latest tweet clarifying the issue that she called me a liar for on the very what’s app group she was bad mounting me. Then she leaves the group for some reason. pic.twitter.com/mHoaNclAsA
Anila Khawaja, who had been appointed as part of PTI’s decision to extend the media team of the party, started supporting Imran Khan’s politics when only a couple of people supported his political cause.
She was educated, bred and born in West London’s Ealing area.
Khawaja received her post graduate degree in education from Brunel University and became a British qualified teacher. She took a year out in 2005 to help out the victims in Pakistan during its worst natural disaster, leaving her family and a well-paid job behind.
She got involved in relief work during the 2005 earthquake that hit Pakistan, causing the death of more than 70,000 people. She worked with Imran Khan Earthquake Relief Fund (IKERF) for a year when Khan’s party was turned into an NGO for a year.
She was all set to return to London but was approached by the British High Commission to help start a British school in Islamabad.
It was around 2008 that she formally joined the PTI. Soon after joining the party, she was given the responsibility to deal with international media – a role she successfully performed till last year when there were shuffles within the party.
