American blogger Cynthia Ritchie is working on film projects in collaboration with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the Ministry of Interior told Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday.
According to the ministry, Ritchie is living in the country on an 'extended' visa, saying she has stated in her application that she has been working with Walkabout Films Private Limited, Dawn reported.
The ministry added that the blogger is waiting for her documents for a formal extension of her business visa for one year. Since it would take a few more days, she requested for her visa to be extended temporarily, for a period of 30 days.
Meanwhile, Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar submitted with the court that Ritchie's visa is valid till August 31, adding she has not been involved in any illegality or anti-state activity as being alleged.
Earlier, Journalist Arshad Sharif had claimed that the DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar had denied any ‘direct’ relation and ‘work contract’ with the blogger.
On June 5, the blogger stirred a storm in the national mainstream by accusing the then Interior Minister, PPP’s Rehman Malik of raping her. In a live video on her Facebook page, she had also accused former minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and ex premier Yousuf Raza Gilani of manhandling her.
Prior to that, on May 28, Ritchie posted remarks against the slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, termed by the PPP as “derogatory and slanderous”.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly mentioned 'ISI' in the headline instead of 'ISPR'. The mistake has since been rectified.
According to the ministry, Ritchie is living in the country on an 'extended' visa, saying she has stated in her application that she has been working with Walkabout Films Private Limited, Dawn reported.
The ministry added that the blogger is waiting for her documents for a formal extension of her business visa for one year. Since it would take a few more days, she requested for her visa to be extended temporarily, for a period of 30 days.
Meanwhile, Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar submitted with the court that Ritchie's visa is valid till August 31, adding she has not been involved in any illegality or anti-state activity as being alleged.
Earlier, Journalist Arshad Sharif had claimed that the DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar had denied any ‘direct’ relation and ‘work contract’ with the blogger.
On June 5, the blogger stirred a storm in the national mainstream by accusing the then Interior Minister, PPP’s Rehman Malik of raping her. In a live video on her Facebook page, she had also accused former minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and ex premier Yousuf Raza Gilani of manhandling her.
Prior to that, on May 28, Ritchie posted remarks against the slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, termed by the PPP as “derogatory and slanderous”.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly mentioned 'ISI' in the headline instead of 'ISPR'. The mistake has since been rectified.