Islamabad – Pakistani agency has threatened a prominent act1ivist with terrorism charges for her criticism of the country’s powerful military, officials said on Wednesday.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) sent a notice to Bukhari on Tuesday that said terrorism charges would be levied against her if she didn’t appear within 30 days to explain the remarks about the state institution, a reference to the army.
Bukhari, a former newspaper columnist, and television host moved to Britain in 2019 after she said she faced intimidation and threats from Pakistan’s spy agencies.
She has a huge following on social media and is known for her comments critical to the military.
“I will not bow to intimidation,” Bukhari wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
Bukhari was briefly kidnapped by unidentified men in the eastern city of Lahore in 2018.
She later said agents of the army’s spy agency had abducted her to deter her from criticising Pakistan’s 2018 national elections, which were clouded by allegations of military interference and vote-rigging.
Pakistan’s opposition has said the 2018 elections that brought Imran Khan to power as prime minister was rigged by the powerful military to install a government of the choice of generals.
The military has ruled Pakistan for almost half of its existence since the country gained independence from Britain in 1947.
(dpa/NAN)