Daily Times

PPP senior leader, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior and former Interior Minister Senator A Rehman Malik on Sunday through his lawyer Ch: Abdur Rehman Bajwa Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan served a defamation notice to US Citizen Ms Cynthia D Ritchie over false, frivolous and baseless allegation of rape against him.

Senator A Rehman Malik has strongly rejected all allegations against him and has termed those a pack of lies to damage his national and international reputation. He said that he is fighting for the honour and respect of his leader Benazir Bhutto who sacrificed her life for the nation and he can face such kinds of hundreds of false and fabricated allegations in this fight. He said that he has been continuously receiving life threats and arrest for his vocal statements against the government but the opponents must know that he is never afraid of jails as he has already seen even the death cells.

He said, “When my opponents found nothing against me they began my character assassination.” He said that my conscience is clear and on time, he will be exposing the conspirators behind Benazir Bhutto and his character assassination and will show them the mirror.

He said that he has no personal enmity with the friendly country’s national namely Ms Cynthia Dawn Ritchie and he respects all women, that is why he shall not use any counter remarks against her. He said that however time will tell whether she projected the soft image of Pakistan or not.

The legal notice is reproduced as under:

“I have been instructed by my client Senator A. Rehman Malik to serve upon you the following legal notice:-

1. (a) That my client is a renowned politician. He is a thorough gentleman and a respectable citizen of Pakistan. He enjoys international fame and has been working in national interest at many top assignments. He also served Interior Minister of Pakistan. Presently, he is the Chairman of Senate Standing committee for Interior;

(b) He has been an investigator of international repute. He is the recipient of two highest civil awards (Sitara-i-Shujaat Gallantry, Nishan-i-Imtiaz) from the State of Pakistan. He has great respect for women and that is why he shall not use any derogatory counter remarks against you. However, my client A. Rehman Malik in his defence had issued a rebuttal refuting your false allegation.

2. That my client vividly remembers that you approached my client in his office in Ministry of Interior, in the company of daughter of Mr. Azam Khan Swati, the then Minister with a request for extension of your Visa which was earlier issued to you by Pakistan Embassy in the US

3. That your request was forwarded in routine by my client to the then Secretary Ministry of Interior, who after completion of all the codal and procedural formalities extended your Visa.

4. That barring the above, any other meeting regarding your visa with my client is out of question.

5. That it was recently noticed by my client that all of a sudden you emerged on the social media scene and began a smearing campaign against late Ms. Behazir Bhutto, Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan as well as Pakistan Peoples Party, in the last few days while issuing and posting some untrue, concocted, objectionable, derogatory, immoral, indecent and defamatory content and remarks on Whatsapp, Youtube and Twitter etc.

6. That my client being a senior worker/ senior member of Pakistan Peoples Party took serious notice of your aforesaid nefarious and illegal smear campaign against late Ms. Benazir Bhutto, Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan in his capacity as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Interior and on the request of PPP workers consequently called a report from Ministry of Interior while also directing FIA, PTA and all other stake holders vide Senate Secretariat letters dated 29th May 2020, & 30th May, 2020 (copies attached) to initiate an inquiry into the matter and take action according to the prevailing laws of the land. Pakistan Peoples Party also filed a complaint in this regard with the local police, which is also being processed accordingly.

7. That as soon as you got to know of the aforesaid action by my client, you accused my client through your Twitter account @CynthiaDRitchie, on 02nd June 2020, for illegitimate issuance of POC to a foreigner as under:-

” @NadraMedia check how an Arab was given a Pakistan Origin Card (POC) in the name of Aref Al Zarooni w/ Address 41 Khayaban E Muslim DHA Phase 6? How can a foreigner get a POC? What role did @SenRehmanMalik play as MoI to issue to a foreigner? Is this state-level espionage?”

8. That the accusation of issuing illegal POC was strongly rebutted by NADRA as a reply to your above tweet, from NADRA’s official verified account ?@NadraMedia as under:

“Pakistan Origin Cards are issued to eligible foreigners. The POC of Mr. Aref Alzarooni was issued legitimately as per NADRA POC Issuance Rules 2002.”

9. Since you failed in your above accusation against my client, you started his character assassination by leveling bogus and disparaging allegations on 05th June 2020, through your Twitter & Facebook accounts as follows:-

“I was raped by former Interior Minister Rehman Malik”

My client soon discovered that the above said video message was made viral by you on social media, print media and televised electronically at the national and international level.

10. That due to leveling, publication and circulation of above said false, frivolous and baseless allegation, the reputation of my client has adversely suffered both at the national and international level. He has a right to redeem his position.

11. Therefore my client is constrained to demand from you as token damages, an amount of Rupees Five Hundred Million in addition to prompt withdrawal of the above said allegation in the same manner in which it was released and posted on social, print and electronic media, within fifteen days of receipt of this legal notice besides an unqualified apology from you in this regard;

12. That in case of non-adherence to the instant legal notice, my client will resort to civil and criminal proceedings against you through the courts of competent jurisdiction and in that eventuality you would be solely responsible for all costs and consequences including damages to the tune of Rupees Five Billion which my client may demand by way of damages from the relevant forum of law.”