Cynthia challenges rejection of her visa extension in IHC

ISLAMABAD: US Blogger Cynthia D Ritchie submitted a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday, challenging the Interior Ministry’s decision to deny her a visa extension.

In the petition, Cynthia made the interior secretary, deputy secretary and director-general Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) parties to the case, stating that she had fulfilled all the legal obligations required of her — in her visa application — to ensure her continued stay in Pakistan. Cynthia accused the Interior Ministry of denying her visa without any solid reason, her petition mentioning that rejecting her visa extension was a violation of the General Clauses Act and the country's visa policy. Cynthia had earlier said that it was the Ministry of Interior which issued wrong visa. She said now the officials of the ministry were being pressurized to blame her for their incompetence.