ISLAMABAD: An office-bearer of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), on Thursday, approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking for directions to the government to deport Cynthia Dawn Ritchie, a US blogger, currently residing in Pakistan.
The PPP office-bearer, Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmad, has cited Cynthia, secretary Cabinet Division, secretary Interior, director general (DG) Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the chairman Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) as respondents.
Ahmad, who is secretary general of PPP Rawalpindi city, moved the court through his counsels, Chaudhry Furrukh Isamil and Chaudhry Tanveer Akhtar, saying that as per his knowledge, Cynthia's visa has expired in March, owing to which, her stay in Pakistan, has become illegal.
He added that Cynthia should have left the country or should have been deported by the respondents but they had failed to perform their duties, which they were obliged to perform under the law, which necessitated filing of the petition.
The petitioner also adopted that the US blogger was claiming through media that she was indulging into certain kinds of investigations in Pakistan but to the knowledge and information of the petitioner, no such license had been issued to her by the government of Pakistan to carry-out any kind of investigations.
He claimed that Cynthia "who is an alien, has been able to make an access to the sensitive institutions of the country. It is known that she is involved in anti-state activities, and her acts of omissions and commissions, may prove detrimental and fatal to the country."
He maintained that if she was carrying on with any business, then she should been registered with the SECP, and if not then how she was doing the business in Pakistan.
"She has also not disclosed her source of income and the details of income tax, if any paid by her. All these things/ information are necessary to be disclosed in the public interest," added the petitioner.
He continued that she was also leveling defamatory allegations against a deceased leader, and former prime minister of the country, and thus, scandalizing the reputation of the country at the international level, the process of investigation was already pending before the FIA, hence her activity might be restrained as per the law.
Therefore, he prayed before the court to direct the respondents to deport the US blogger as her visa had expired and not extended till date. He also requested the court that the activity of Cynthia might be restrained within the limit prescribed by the law for immigrants.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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