Cynthia Ritchie goes into detail about allegations against PPP leaders

American blogger and filmmaker Cynthia D Ritchie shared details about the rape allegation she made against former interior minister Rehman Malik and accusations that senior PPP leaders Yousaf Raza Gilani and Makhdoom Shahabuddin 'manhandled' her. 

Speaking to Shahzad Iqbal during the Geo News programme 'Naya Pakistan', Cynthia said that she fully stands behind her accusations against the PPP leaders. 

Cynthia alleged that Malik called her by sending a driver to her place and promised to resolve an issue related to her visa. The US blogger said when she arrived to meet Malik, the gifts of a bouquet, precious mobile phone and a drink were arranged for her. 

Read more: Rehman Malik denies Cynthia Ritchie’s ‘shameful’ rape allegation

The drink, Cynthia said, intoxicated her and the next thing she knew, Malik was raping her. She alleged that after the rape, Malik sent her back to her residence with the driver. Cynthia said the former interior minister gave £2,000 to the driver who took her back to her residence. The US blogger said she complained to the US embassy about the incident, but did not get a positive response from them.

Cynthia talks about former prime minister Gilani, Shahabuddin

Talking about former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Cynthia alleged that he gave her an "awkward hug" and former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin tried to touch her without her consent. According to Cynthia, she asked Shahabuddin to stay away from her after that incident. 

Talking about her tweet regarding former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, she said it was based on what senior PPP leaders had told her.  Cynthia claimed that she met Gilani at the Aiwan-e-Sadr shortly after he was ousted as the country's prime minister. 

She said her entry can be checked in the logbooks maintained by the Presidency. Disclosing that there were four other people in the meeting, Cynthia said that when she was about to depart, the former prime minister hugged her awkwardly. According to her, she looked around the room and all the other men looked down as if they had seen nothing. 

In response to a question as to why she was coming forth with the allegations after so many years, Cynthia said at the time she was afraid as these were some of the most powerful men in Pakistan. However, she said that the recent tensions between her and the PPP spiked after the US blogger claimed she discovered links between the PPP and the PTM. “It’s not the PPP’s headache on which visa I am working in Pakistan,” she said, when asked on whose authority she was probing links between the two, adding that her agenda is the truth which will come out in court. 

Cynthia said she is now able to talk about these incidents as she has developed contacts with people in various political parties such as the PPP, PML-N and also in the PTI. She accused PPP supporters of sending her rape and death threats, saying that even her family had not been spared. 

Cynthia's allegations 'pre-planned' plot to malign political leadership: PPP

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani had reacted to Cynthia's allegations on Sunday, saying that they were a pre-planned plot to malign the political leadership of PPP.

The minister, during his press conference, said, "I would urge all the media channels of Pakistan, that an issue is being created to malign the political leadership of Pakistan."

"You can put it in writing. If we create pomp and show about it, then today it is the PPP, tomorrow it will be another party and then so on. Maybe, those who are blowing trumpets about it, they can also [fall victim to it]," he added. 

Ghani warned the federal government by saying that people were aware of the 'activities' of those who were in power. "If they [federal government ministers] think they can be happy over false allegations regarding others, then they will have to face true allegations against themselves. Then they will not be able to rid themselves of it," added Ghani.

In response to a question, he angrily said that Cynthia had not revealed any confidential information about the PPP. "We have forgotten about the locusts, we have forgotten about the coronavirus, we have forgotten about poverty, we have forgotten about unemployment, we have forgotten about the economy. We are running the baseless and false allegations of a woman in our headlines," Ghani had said.

In response to another question, the PPP leader had said that the allegations were being posed by a woman whose own character is dubious.

"At times, she is in Israel, at times in India. In one place one day and another at another day. It will all be revealed to you soon. A foreigner comes here and tries to be more patriotic than you and me. How can it be?" he asked.