Pak court accepts US blogger Cynthia Ritchie’s request to withdraw rape case against Rehman Malik

Ritchie stunned many people in the country last June by issuing a video, alleging that Malik raped her in 2011 when he was a minister in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government.

The tiff began with Ritchie's comments against slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto.

A Pakistani court on Thursday accepted a request by US blogger Cynthia Ritchie to withdraw her petition seeking the registration of a criminal case against former interior minister Rehman Malik for allegedly raping her.

Ritchie stunned many people in the country last June by issuing a video, alleging that Malik raped her in 2011 when he was a minister in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government.

Malik rejected her allegations and their legal battle landed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). But after enough mud-raking the two apparent patched up and withdrew their petitions.

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Ritchie’s lawyer Imran Feroze Malik confirmed that the blogger withdrew her case seeking registration of an FIR against Malik, who in a quid pro quo took back his petition for launching defamation suit against her.

“We have withdrawn all the petitions based on multiple requests,” the lawyer said, adding that Ritchie had reconciled.
Earlier, the blogger in a Facebook video said: “In 2011, I was raped by the former interior minister Rehman Malik. That’s right, I’ll say it again. I was raped by the then interior minister Rehman Malik.”

The tiff began with Ritchie’s comments against slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto. Her comments were declared by the Bhutto’s followers as an effort to tarnish her image.

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