<p>A Pakistani court here has directed the country's top investigation agency to register a case against Pakistan-based American blogger Cynthia D Ritchie for maligning late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on social media.</p>.<p>The Islamabad's District and Session Court's direction to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) came after the city police last week refused to register a case against Ritchie, saying it was an issue of cybercrime and only the FIA was authorised to deal with it.</p>.<p>"The FIA is directed to proceed in accordance with the law, conduct an inquiry and if there is sufficient material, register an FIR," Judge Jahangir Awan said.</p>.<p>Petitioner Waqas Ahmad Abbasi submitted a written application last week against Ritchie, accusing her of maligning Bhutto on social media. But the Islamabad Police said the case needed to be investigated by the FIA.</p>.<p>Later, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Islamabad President Shakeel Abbasi approached the FIA with a complaint against Ritchie for making a slanderous tweet against Bhutto but it refused to take action.</p>.<p>The FIA on June 9 told the court that the complainant was not the aggrieved party under the law and not entitled to file the case.</p>.<p>Ritchie alleged that Bhutto condoned rape culture in Pakistan, according to Pakistani media reports.</p>.<p>The FIA, in its written response to the court, argued that according to its rules, only the aggrieved party - the targeted victim or their guardian - could lodge such a complaint with the agency.</p>.<p>On the other hand, the counsel for the petitioner argued that due to the nature of tweets, the PPP was the aggrieved party.</p>.<p>To this, the court asked why the heirs of late Bhutto were not lodging a complaint.</p>.<p>The court after hearing arguments had reserved the judgment on June 13 which it announced, ordering FIA to register the case and proceed as per law against Ritchie.</p>.<p>Ritchi also levelled allegations of harassment against the senior leaders of the PPP, including former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and ex-interior minister Rehman Malik.</p>.<p>On June 10, Gilani sent a legal notice to Ritchie, seeking Rs100 million in damages and an apology.</p>.<p>Separately, Malik also said he will serve Ritchie a legal notice after she accused that he raped her in 2011.</p>.<p>Ritchie has been living in Pakistan for more than a decade. She introduced herself as an adventure tourist who fell in love with Pakistan.</p>
<p>A Pakistani court here has directed the country's top investigation agency to register a case against Pakistan-based American blogger Cynthia D Ritchie for maligning late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on social media.</p>.<p>The Islamabad's District and Session Court's direction to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) came after the city police last week refused to register a case against Ritchie, saying it was an issue of cybercrime and only the FIA was authorised to deal with it.</p>.<p>"The FIA is directed to proceed in accordance with the law, conduct an inquiry and if there is sufficient material, register an FIR," Judge Jahangir Awan said.</p>.<p>Petitioner Waqas Ahmad Abbasi submitted a written application last week against Ritchie, accusing her of maligning Bhutto on social media. But the Islamabad Police said the case needed to be investigated by the FIA.</p>.<p>Later, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Islamabad President Shakeel Abbasi approached the FIA with a complaint against Ritchie for making a slanderous tweet against Bhutto but it refused to take action.</p>.<p>The FIA on June 9 told the court that the complainant was not the aggrieved party under the law and not entitled to file the case.</p>.<p>Ritchie alleged that Bhutto condoned rape culture in Pakistan, according to Pakistani media reports.</p>.<p>The FIA, in its written response to the court, argued that according to its rules, only the aggrieved party - the targeted victim or their guardian - could lodge such a complaint with the agency.</p>.<p>On the other hand, the counsel for the petitioner argued that due to the nature of tweets, the PPP was the aggrieved party.</p>.<p>To this, the court asked why the heirs of late Bhutto were not lodging a complaint.</p>.<p>The court after hearing arguments had reserved the judgment on June 13 which it announced, ordering FIA to register the case and proceed as per law against Ritchie.</p>.<p>Ritchi also levelled allegations of harassment against the senior leaders of the PPP, including former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and ex-interior minister Rehman Malik.</p>.<p>On June 10, Gilani sent a legal notice to Ritchie, seeking Rs100 million in damages and an apology.</p>.<p>Separately, Malik also said he will serve Ritchie a legal notice after she accused that he raped her in 2011.</p>.<p>Ritchie has been living in Pakistan for more than a decade. She introduced herself as an adventure tourist who fell in love with Pakistan.</p>