Cynthia Ritchie’s rape allegation strongly denied by Rehman Malik

PPP senior leader and Senator Rehman Malik has vehemently denied the rape allegation against him by US blogger in Pakistan, Cythnia Ritchie, calling them ‘baseless, shameful, and inappropriate’.

In a video broadcast live on Facebook a day ago, Ritchie alleged that one of the party’s senior members had raped her while two others had “manhandled” her at a separate occasion.

The PPP leader’s spokesman, in a statement, said that the purpose behind the US blogger’s allegations was to damage the reputation of Rehman Malik.

“The US woman made the inappropriate allegations against Rehman Malik upon the instigation of a certain individual or a group,” said the spokesman on behalf of the former interior minister.

Malik always raised voice against the Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir and against India’s mistreatment of its own minority Muslims.

The spokesman added that Malik always spoke up in favour of women rights.

The allegations against Rehman Malik came at a time when he took notice of the accusations against late Benazir Bhutto as the chairman interior ministry, added the spokesman.

An ongoing social media spat between Cynthia D. Ritchie and various PPP leaders took a dark turn on Friday after Ritchie took to Facebook to level several serious allegations against the party’s senior leadership.

She stated that the incidents occurred in 2011 when the PPP was in power, and when the individual she accused of rape had been a senior minister.

Ritchie further alleged that two other senior party leaders — a federal minister and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani (who has publicly responded to the allegation) — had “physically manhandled” her when the latter “was staying the President House”.

In a subsequent textual post on Facebook, Ritchie said that the alleged rape incident had occurred at the accused’s residence in Islamabad’s Minister’s Enclave in 2011, “around the [time of the] OBL (Osama Bin Laden) incident”.

However, she said she did tell someone about the incident at the US Embassy in 2011, but “due to ‘fluid’ situation and ‘complex’ relations” between Washington and Islamabad, she said the response “was less than adequate”.

Responding to the allegations against him, former premier Gilani asked: “Can a prime minister ever commit such an act at the Aiwan-e-Sadr?”

“What was the lady levelling such accusations doing at the Aiwan-e-Sadr?” he continued, adding: “Who gave her the right to accuse politicians like this?”

He said responding to such statements would be “contemptuous”.

He noted that Ritchie had recently levelled several accusations at former Pakistani prime minister and late party leader Benazir Bhutto and “no one can tolerate such accusations”.

“I am not worried about what was said about me. I am more concerned about the baseless accusations levelled at Shaheed Benazir.”

“Ali Haider Gillani and Ali Qasim have approached the court in this regard,” he said.

PPP moves FIA against Ritchie over ‘slanderous’ remarks

Earlier, the PPP had requested the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing to take immediate action and initiate proceedings against Cynthia D. Ritchie for “extremely derogatory and slanderous remarks” regarding Benazir Bhutto.

“Through this application, it is brought to your notice that a woman, who goes by the name of Cynthia D Ritchie on Twitter has passed extremely derogatory and slanderous remarks about Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, through her Twitter handle/account,” the letter dated May 28 read.

“Her remarks being false, untrue, defamating and slanderous as they are, have caused immense pain and agony to the millions across Pakistan who revere and hold Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in high esteem,” it said.

“Your office is requested to take immediate action and initiate proceedings against this woman as prescribed by the law and under your mandate. A photocopy of the tweet, a true portrayal of her sick and disgusting mind is attached with the application,” the letter added. 

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/668868-cy