Rehman Malik demands Cynthia Ritchie’s name be placed on ECL

ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Senator Rehman Malik in a letter on Wednesday demanded the interior secretary place US blogger Cynthia D Ritchie's name on the Exit Control List (ECL), reported The News.

In a separate letter, he also demanded the provision of foolproof security for her during her stay in Pakistan.

A spokesman for Malik officially endorsed letters being circulated on electronic media calling for the PPP leader’s demand for placing Ritchie’s name on the ECL. 

Meanwhile, the former interior minister has also transferred the suo motu notice proceedings to Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and telecommunication.

He has also taken notice of the tweets by Ritchie regarding Benazir Bhutto and had directed FIA and PTA for reports and necessary legal action against her.

I'm not going anywhere: Cynthia

Responding to the call of placing her name on the no-fly list, Ritchie said the PPP was trying to have her deported. She requested the government to place her name on the ECL so that she could “fight this battle”.

“I'm not going anywhere. My vacations can wait,” she said.

Separately, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had also sent a defamation notice of Rs100 million to Ritchie who accused him of physical manhandling.

The legal notice sent to the US citizen through his lawyers and asked her to respond to the legal notice in 14 days. Through the legal notice, the former prime minister and vice-chairman of the PPP had denied all the accusations and allegations levelled against him. 

The notice stated that the allegations by Ritchie were part of a campaign to defame the national political leadership of the country.

Originally published in The News