Rehman Malik seeks travel ban, security for Cynthia Ritchie

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party senior leader Senator Rehman Malik yesterday de­manded of the government to put US national Cynthia Ritchie’s name on the Exit Control List and also sought fool­proof security for her.

The letters being circulated on elec­tronic media regarding Senator Reh­man Malik’s demand of placing Cynthia’s name on ECL and provision of full proof box security to her during her stay in Pa­kistan are being endorsed officially, said a statement released by his office.

Meanwhile, Malik, the Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interi­or and former Interior Minister, also transferred the suo moto notice pro­ceedings to Senate Standing Commit­tee on IT and telecommunication.

Malik had taken suo-moto notice on the highly defamatory tweets by Cyn­thia Ritchie regarding Benazir Bhutto and directed FIA and PTA for reports and necessary legal action against her.

In a letter to Secretary Interior issued by Secretary Senate Standing Committee on Interior on June 8, 2020, regarding placing Cynthia Dawn Ritchie, it is stat­ed “the undersigned has been directed by the Chairman Senate Standing Com­mittee on Interior to state that a foreign­er lady, Ms. Cynthia Dawn Ritchie, may be placed on the ECL to ensure her presence in the Courts as she has already been dragged in the Court in various cases.”

It adds “the matter of defamation of Benazir Bhutto is also pending before the FIA and other Courts in Pakistan. Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has been two times Prime Minister of Paki­stan and was the first woman Prime Min­ister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Using objectionable, derogatory, im­moral, indecent and defamatory remarks against such personality is an offence cognizable under Cyber Crimes Act.

The letter reads “It is, therefore, de­sired by the Chairman Senate Stand­ing Committee on Interior that Cynthia Dawn Ritchie may be placed on Exit Control List (ECL) to ensure her pres­ence before the relevant authorities and in the Court of Law.”

In another letter issued to the Secre­tary Interior on the same date, the Sec­retary Senate Standing Committee on Interior states “the undersigned has been directed to state that it has been brought into notice of the Chairman Sen­ate Standing Committee on Interior that a Senior Journalist and author, Azaz Syed in his programme on his YouTube Chan­nel had expressed fears for Ritchie’s life.

Meanwhile, Rehman Malik in a sur­prising referred the matter regarding defamatory remarks against Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto by Cynthia Ritchie to the Senate Standing Commit­tee on Information Technology & Tele­communications.

In a letter to Chairman Senate Stand­ing Committee on IT and telecommu­nication, Senator Rubina Khalid, Sena­tor A. Rehman Malik writes that Senate Standing Committee on Interior had taken notices of the objectionable, im­moral, indecent and defamatory re­marks against Benazir Bhutto by Cyn­thia Dawn Ritchie through her Twitter account/social media and FIA & PTA have already been directed to submit a detailed report on the matter demand­ing a proper action under the Cyber Crimes Act/PECA, which is still awaited.

He expresses in letter that the above notices were taken purely on merit as nobody has the right to defame anyone on the social media as it is against Cy­ber Crimes Act.