Noreen’s lawyer says the NCCIA has asked her to appear on Tuesday; legal team seeks four weeks to respond
Photo of Noreen Niazi, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB
ISLAMABAD:
The lawyer for Noreen Niazi, the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, said on Monday that an initial written response had been submitted to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) after the agency issued her a notice over a controversial interview.
On Saturday, the NCCIA subpoenaed Noreen for an investigation after she gave an interview alleging that Operation Marka-e-Haq was a collaboration between the Pakistan Armed Forces and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to reporters after appearing before the NCCIA, attorney Faisal Malik said Noreen Niazi had learned of the announcement via social media Monday morning, after which her legal team submitted a preliminary written response to the agency.
Malik said the defense had requested a copy of any complaint registered against his client and asked the agency to specify the legal provisions under which the notice had been issued.
He said the NCCIA had asked Noreen to appear in person before the agency on Tuesday. However, the legal team had sought four weeks to file a detailed response to the notice.
Malik quoted his client as saying that Noreen maintained that “as a Pakistani, she respects all state institutions” and “could never do anything that would bring dishonor to Pakistan.”
Read: “There will be no leniency,” Talal warns of Noreen Niazi’s remarks
Malik added that Noreen Niazi would not be able to appear before the NCCIA on Tuesday.
According to a release issued by the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Center on Saturday, Noreen had been asked to appear before the agency on Monday to record her statement in connection with the investigation.
The notice, issued under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code, stated that the NCCIA was investigating the case.
The notice directed her to appear in person at the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Center in Islamabad to record her statement. It warned that failure to comply would mean “that you have nothing to produce or plead in your defence” and would be punishable under Section 174 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860.
The announcement was issued after Noreen made comments regarding Marka-e-Haq and the Pakistan Army during an interview on a YouTube channel.
In the interview, Noreen claimed that Marka-e-Haq was a collaboration between the Pakistan Armed Forces and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She further claimed that India refrained from attacking Pakistan at Israel’s request because Pakistan was moving towards recognizing Israel.
“Modi could have fixed them in two minutes if he wanted to. Why did Modi stop? What was he afraid of? India is such a big country. Look at that country and then look at yourselves,” she said.
She also claimed that Israel was “behind” the development and claimed that Pakistan was getting ready to join countries that had established diplomatic relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.
