ISLAMABAD –  An Islamabad court ordered Cynthia D Ritchie and Senator Rehman Malik to appear before it on August 11 to record their statements in the case Malik filed against the American.

He filed a request at a district and sessions court in Islamabad under the Offence of Qazf (Enforcement of Hadd) Ordinance, 1979.

The Ordinance relates to “Whoever by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes an imputation of zina concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation, or hurt the feelings, of such person, is said except in the cases hereinafter excepted, to commit qazf”.

Read more: Who is Cynthia Dawn Ritchie?

Ritchie, who identifies herself as a media director and producer, has accused the former interior minister of raping her.

The case was heard on Tuesday by Additional Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani. He directed Ritchie to submit surety bonds of Rs30,000.

Her lawyer has filed an acquittal plea in the case. Imran Feroze said the rape case they have filed against Malik is currently being heard.

Ritchie accused Malik of raping her, and former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani and Makhdoom Shahabuddin of manhandling her in 2011. The accusation has been denied by the PPP leaders.

“In 2011, I was raped by the former interior minister Rehman Malik. That’s right. I’ll say it again. I was raped by then interior minister Rehman Malik,” she said in a Facebook Live session.

Read more: Cynthia Ritchie accuses Rehman Malik of rape, he denies allegation

“I was physically manhandled by [former] federal health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and PM Yousaf Gilani while he was staying at President House.”

Later, she wrote in a post that the “incident” occurred at the “IM’s house in ministers’ enclave in 2011” around the time of Osama Bin Laden’s assassination. “I thought it was a meeting about my visa but I was given flowers/ a drugged drink. I kept quiet.” She claimed that her family was recently attacked and she is “ready to face any accuser” now.