ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Rehman Malik on Monday sent Rs500 million defamation notice to US blogger Cynthia D Ritchie who earlier alleged that the senior PPP leader had raped her in 2011.
In the legal notice, Malik rejected Ritchie’s allegations, saying that the entire episode is a fight for Benazir Bhutto’s prestige. He paid tribute to Benazir Bhutto by saying that the slain former prime minister was considered a leader of impeccable repute by the entire country.
In his notice, the former interior minister said that he would expose the faces behind Ritchie’s allegations at the appropriate time. Malik also said that he is constantly receiving threats of being sent to jail or killed.
The PPP leader said that he has never bowed to pressure before and would not do the same now.
The American blogger had said in a Facebook live video last week that in 2011, she had been raped by Malik, who was then the country’s interior minister. She went on to say that other senior leaders of the party, former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani and ex-federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, had ‘manhandled’ her.
All those accused by Ritchie have categorically rejected her accusations.
