ISLAMABAD: After losing the legal battle, US blogger, Cynthia Ritchie, has lost her case at Interior ministry for extension in her visa for further stay in Pakistan. After losing the case at two forums– legal and administrative—Cynthia Ritchie, on Wednesday was asked by Interior ministry to leave Pakistan in next two weeks. A couple of days ago, Cynthia Ritchie, had lost her case before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) filed by Chaudhary Iftikhar Ahmad, seeking her extradition.
During the hearing into the case, the court had expressed dissatisfaction over performance of Interior ministry in processing the US blogger’s case for grant of visa in 2010. Cynthia Ritchie was living in Pakistan since 2010 and had access to very powerful political elite of the country. She had come to Pakistan during PPP regime. A few in this country could have any information like who US blogger was and on whose invitation she came to Pakistan till June this year when she dared to accuse top PPP leaders like Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Rehman Malik and many others of sexual harassment that brought her in the limelight. She released some objectionable videos with PPP leaders to prove her case.
This created a storm in Pakistan’s politic. Those whom she accused got in action. They, as Cynthia Ritchie claimed in the media, opened-up different fronts to make her shut. Cynthia informed FIA and other departments about different incidents of her intimidation, but to no avail. Meanwhile, her accused reached to the court through their petitioner for her expulsion from Pakistan. The petitioner challenged US blogger’s status in Pakistan and the same irked the judge who sought explanation from the Interior ministry’s baboos on the subject.
Cynthia Ritchie is a US citizen and she for years was living illegally in Pakistan. She could have lived for many more years, may be decades in this country if had not dared to speak out about her sexual harassment incidents. While accusing PPP leadership for sexual harassment, US blogger might have thought she will get her culprits fixed by proving the case against them, but she, for sure, had no idea that those whom she had alleged were not in power, but still were powerful enough to get her extradited from Pakistan. Her illegal stay, as noticed by the court, is self- explanatory and a question mark on the performance of Interior ministry.
Will any authority– may be the court— look into the issue to exactly know how many like Cynthia Ritchie were illegally living in Pakistan. Secondly, her accusations were of very serious nature. Did any concerned department investigate the matter to provide a foreigner justice?.
The same court should ask the Interior ministry why it did not take action against Cynthia Ritchie until her case landed into IHC.