The police on Saturday registered a defamation case against unknown persons for preparing and circulating a fake letter ostensibly issued by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) which linked several parliamentarians with banned militant outfits.
IB officials told the police that both the letter and the stationery bearing it were forged.
The letter, first aired by ARY News a few days ago, had accused 37 lawmakers, including several belonging to the ruling PML-N of having links with defunct militant organisations.
Earlier, the IB issued a rebuttal, challenging the letter’s authenticity.
It now explicitly asked the police to investigate and book whosoever was behind the forged letter.
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“In a TV programme on September 25 and September 27, 2017, a fake/ forged letter prepared by unknown accused on a fake letter pad of the Intelligence Bureau showed … that 37 parliamentarians were linked with defunct and militant organisations,” the IB’s application to the police read.
It stated that such fake and forged documents and attributing scandalous stories to IB undermined the integrity of a sensitive state organisation.
“(Such) fabricated/forged document was purportedly prepared to cause animosity between parliamentarians and a sensitive state organisation at a time when both sides are sincerely engaged in neutralising malicious designs of enemies of Pakistan,” it stated.
The letter, the agency said, divulged the identity of senior hierarchy of the IB, causing a serious security breach, endangering their lives.
The application, submitted by an IB director, said that the fake letter had also put the bureau in an awkward position.
“The letter’s contents are highly derogatory, defamatory and aimed at maligning and undermining the IB and its senior hierarchy, distracting (them) from (countering) terrorism and other threats to national security,” it said.
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Urging the police to take action against whosoever had forged the letter, it stated: “Necessary legal action may be taken against unknown accused responsible for preparing (this) fake, fabricated and forged document and airing it (with) the intention to malign and undermine the Intelligence Bureau.”
Following IB’s request, the Secretariat Police registered a case against unknown persons on charges of defamation, forgery and public mischief under sections 505, 500, 471, 420, and 468 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The police told The Express Tribune that the name of the TV channel was mentioned in the FIR, but the case was registered against unknown persons.
Secretariat SHO inspector Qaiser Gilani said no action had so far been taken in this regard.
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