Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Rehman Malik on Saturday “strongly rejected the baseless and wild allegations” of rape by a US citizen.

American blogger Cynthia Ritchie on Friday claimed that Malik, the then interior minister, of spiked her drink and raped her at his official residence in 2011.

Ritchie posted a Facebook live video detailing how the PPP senator allegedly sexually assaulted and also accused two other senior PPP leaders of manhandling and harassing her.

“Senator A. Rehman Malik has endorsed the statement of former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani wherein he has denied the allegations levelled by US Citizen Cynthia D. Ritchie,” said a statement released by the PPP leader’s spokesperson.

Malik added that the allegations were made “to malign and scandalise him with malafide intentions”.

 The former interior minister also endorsed the statement of former premier Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani in which he has denied the allegations of manhandling and harassing Ritchie at the President House.

Malik’s spokesperson said that Ritchie had accused the senator after 10 years on “instigation of some vested groups” only to harm his reputation.

“Tweets from Indian RAW directly threatening Senator A. Rehman Malik [and] hinting him of some dirty moves against him as senator stands against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is committed to Kashmir cause,” further said the senator’s spokesperson.

The statement added stated that Malik considers responding to US citizen Cynthia “below his dignity” and that he respects women including Ritchie. Hence would not like to use any “derogatory remarks”.

“Malik has always been fighting for the rights and dignity  of women. Her reaction  has  come also due to Senator A. Rehman Malik’s action as Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior regarding the derogatory remarks and fake news of the said US citizen against Shaheed Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto which she has tweeted earlier.”

“Senator Malik’s sons independently have asked their lawyers for necessary legal action and defamation against her.”

Earlier, the US national’s controversial statement involving slain former premier Benazir Bhutto sparked uproar within the PPP ranks culminating in a complaint being filed against her with the FIA’s cybercrime wing.

She has since posted photos of other PPP leaders while also making salacious claims about the party’s senior leadership. It has resulted in a lot of hate being directed her way by PPP die-hards on social media.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2236732/1-rehman-malik-rejects-baseless-wild-allegations-us-blogger/