Police ordered to submit response on Cynthia Ritchie's application by July 9

Allegations against Malik are 'suspicious, unsubstantiated and inadequate for registering an FIR,' say capital police

ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad on Saturday directed the capital police to submit its response by July 9 on US blogger Cynthia D Ritchie's application for registration of first information report (FIR) against former interior minister Rehman Malik over rape and harassment allegations.

The US blogger on Tuesday had submitted her application to an additional district and sessions judge under Section 22-A of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Separately, the capital police in its report submitted in Islamabad High Court on Saturday said that allegations against Malik are "suspicious, unsubstantiated and inadequate for registering an FIR as police found no truth [behind the claims]".



According to the police report, Cynthia appeared in the police station and interrogated by the team of police officers but failed to give any evidence in support of her claims "which were aimed at tarnishing Rehman Malik's reputation".

“In her petition, the petitioner has alleged that she has been receiving threats calls from PPP workers but neither could she provide the phone numbers nor the time of threat has been mentioned and also neither the names of the callers have been written and nor the nature of threat has been stated and she has leveled allegations against without any evidence," read the report.

Cynthia had accused the former interior minister of raping her and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and former PPP minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin of physically manhandling her.