Cynthia Ritchie – a US national and social media influencer – on Saturday moved the Islamabad High Court against the rejection of her application regarding extending visa and the orders to leave the country within 15 days.

The controversial US national, who is always in headlines because of her contentious commentary on Pakistan’s politics, in her petition made interior ministry secretary and deputy secretary as well as the FIA director general respondents.

She argued that the application for visa extension had been rejected despite fulfilling all the legal requirements. The government orders were a violation of general clause act and visa policy, she maintained.

On Wednesday, the interior ministry had rejected her visa extension application with a directive to leave the country within 15 days.

Later, Cynthia had alleged that the interior ministry was full of the PPP and PML-N supporters who caused trouble for anyone supportive of PTI.

https://twitter.com/CynthiaDRitchie/status/1301512406187859969 

Meanwhile, the interior ministry had earlier admitted that the visas issued to Cynthia in 2018 and 2019 were in violation of the policy.

In a report submitted before the Islamabad High Court in the Cynthia Ritchie case, it was stated that the US blogger applied for extension in her stay under work visa category but she was issued extension under business visa category in violation of the policy.

It said the supporting documents qualifying as legal requirements for issuance of extension under business visa category were not met because her applications on both occasions were for extension in her stay in Pakistan under work visa category.

The ministry also noted that the US national should be stopped from making controversial statements that went against the basic rights of citizens.