ISLAMABAD - Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Rehman Malik directed Federal Investigation Agency to initiate inquiry into the fake news on the social media about former President Asif Ali Zardari’s health.
The senior Pakistan People’s Party leader, on Wednesday, urged the FIA to take action into the matter under the Cybercrime Law.
He directed FIA and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to identify those who were involved in making, circulating and spreading fake news on social media regarding the health and death of former President Asif Ali Zardari and submit a detail report to the committee.
The notice issued to the Secretary Interior states “Senator Rehman Malik, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior has taken serious notice of the fake news in the form of text, images and videos being spread on social media regarding the health and death of Asif Ali Zardari, Former President of Pakistan.”
He directed that a detailed report on the above matter be submitted to him for further necessary action. He said that the matter should be accorded top priority.
Senator Malik also took serious notice of alleged sexual offences and exploitation against the female inmates on the video message that went viral.
In the video, a woman introducing herself to be an inmate in jail alleged officials of the Prisons Department of committing sexual offences and exploitation against the female inmates.
In a notice issued to Secretary Interior, Inspector General Police Punjab, Inspector General Prisons Punjab and Home Secretary Punjab, Senator Rehman Malik directed that a thorough investigation should be carried out into the matter and detailed report should be submitted to the committee.
He constituted a sub-committee to oversee the investigation into the alleged sexual offences and exploitation against the female inmates.
Senator Malik said that allegations of female prisoner were very serious and distressing which needed to be investigated.
He directed the forensic verification of the video and said that if jail authorities were found involved in such heinous crimes, then exemplary punishment should be awarded to them.
He said that the committee already had received multiple complaints of ill-treatment and sexual harassment of women prisoners across the country and in this regard committee would be visiting jails across the country to monitor situation in jails.
He said that in one of the meetings, the committee had already recommended a separate administration and management of female wardens for women prisoners and also separate jails for them in every province.