SHC asks FIA to stop harassing Bitcoin, other digital currency miners

• Justice Amjad Sehto heard a petition filed against the ban on digital currencies such as cryptocurrency.
  
• The court issued a show-cause notice to the FIA Cyber Crime Deputy Director for not appearing in court.
  
• The hearing of the case was adjourned till January 13.
  

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday has asked authorities not to harass Bitcoin and other digital currency miners and has restrained authorities to take action against or investigate digital currency traders.

Digital currency is a balance or a record stored a distributed database on the internet in an electronic computerised computer database.

Justice Amjad Sehto heard a petition filed against the ban on digital currencies such as cryptocurrency.

Contending that the investigation agency is taking action against digital currency traders on its own,  the petition read that the  State Bank of Pakistan is not opening a Bitcoin account.

The judge asked FIA authorities to stop harassing people and submit its written reply in the case.

“FIA does not do its job, nor does it allow others to conduct their business," the judge said.

“If the FIA bothers you, let us know,” Justice Sehto told the petitioner.

It issued a show-cause notice to the FIA Cyber Crime Deputy Director for not appearing in court. 

Referring to the SBP lawyer, the judge asked, do you know how much the virtual currency went up? How much money did people earn?

The court questioned why FIA is stopping people from conducting business.

In response, the SBP lawyer said that the central bank has not asked FIA to take any action against anyone.

The court expressed its displeasure over the non-submission of replies from FIA and Assistant Attorney-General Gulfaraz Khattak. It summoned the finance secretary in person.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till January 13.