Pakistan-based American blogger Cynthia D Ritchie has now been sent a legal notice by Pakistan’s former interior minister Rehman Malik, who she accused of raping her in 2011.
Last week, Ritchie sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s political corridors after she accused the top brass of the erstwhile PPP government of sexual misconduct.
She alleged that she was raped by Pakistan’s former interior minister Rehman Malik and also accused ex-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and another former minister of physically manhandling her in 2011.
Now, Rehman Malik’s lawyers have sent her legal notices demanding that she withdraw her allegations as they have “adversely affected Malik’s reputation both nationally and internationally”.
Malik has also sought PKR 50 billion (approximately Rs 23 crore) in damages from the American blogger, failing which he will pursue legal action against her.
While Rehman Malik’s legal team claimed this was the second legal notice they were sending to Ritchie, she claimed that she never received the first notice.
Taking to Twitter, she wrote, “I haven’t received the first notice. Are you telling me that the PPP is so incompetent that even during their horrific harassment campaign, including leaking my personal address and phone number, they sent the legal notice to the wrong location?”
Acha suno, I haven’t received the 1st notice. Are you telling me that #PPP is so incompetent that – even during their horrific harassment campaign, including leaking my personal address and phone number – they sent the legal notice to the wrong location? https://t.co/ubBjIAfqt7
— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) June 9, 2020
“Fifty Billion Rupees. My math isn’t so great, but I think I could do a lot of poverty alleviation and rape prevention/representation programmes with that. Starting in Sindh. I look forward to facing you in court Mr Malik,” she added in another tweet.
Fifty Billion Rupees.
My math isn’t so great, but I think I could do a lot of poverty alleviation and rape prevention/representation programmes with that. Starting in Sindh.
I looking forward to facing you in court Mr. Malik (even though it seems you’ve blocked me on twitter). https://t.co/cmqdxMhmFJ pic.twitter.com/9UNEpEomvM
— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) June 9, 2020
Cynthia D Ritchie made the allegation against the three top leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) through a video clip posted on her Facebook page on Friday, and soon it went viral on social media.
“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,” she claimed.
She also said Gilani and former health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin “physically manhandled” her while the ex-prime minister was staying at the “President’s House” in Islamabad.
Ritchie’s allegations have escalated the already bitter row between her and the Opposition party following her tweet on May 28 against slain PPP leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, which was termed as derogatory by the party leaders who filed a complaint against her at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The PPP has already filed a complaint with the FIA against Ritchie for “hateful comments and slander” against former PM Benazir Bhutto.
Ritchie said that the rape assault against her took place at Malik’s house in the Ministers’ Enclave around the time of the raid in which Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in 2011.
“I thought it (was) a meeting about my visa but I was given flowers/a drugged drink,” she wrote.
She also said that she kept mum as no one in the then PPP government helped her.
Ritchie also said she had informed about the incident to “someone” at the US Embassy in Pakistan in 2011, “but due to ‘fluid’ situation and ‘complex’ relations between US and Pakistan, [the] response was less than adequate”.
However, all three leaders have denied the allegations.
Ritchie has said she will now be pursuing a rape case against the three legally.
