The Islamabad High Court held a hearing related to the release and repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is imprisoned in the United States. The court remarked that next week is crucial and issued essential instructions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard.
During the proceedings, the court stated that next week would be important concerning the Aafia Siddiqui case and directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cooperate with Dr Fowzia Siddiqui.
During the hearing before Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan, Dr Fowzia Siddiqui’s lawyer, Imran Shafiq, stated that no response had been received to the letter the Prime Minister sent to the U.S. President. Furthermore, there was no confirmation from the U.S. about receiving the letter.
The court also noted that the record of the Prime Minister’s foreign visits had not been presented, despite the court having ordered on December 20 that details of the Prime Minister’s foreign trips be submitted.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative informed the court that the Foreign Secretary was in China, delaying the details’ submission. The court granted an extension until next week to submit the Prime Minister’s foreign trip record.
Imran Shafiq also informed the court that Dr Fowzia Siddiqui has arrived in the U.S., but she has not yet met with the Pakistani Ambassador there. The court directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that Dr Fowzia Siddiqui meets the Pakistani Ambassador in the U.S.
The court then adjourned the hearing of the Aafia Siddiqui case until January 24.
Previously, IHC ordered the government to provide details of the prime minister and foreign minister’s foreign visits since the filing of Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s clemency petition in the United States.
The court reviewed a declaration presented by Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s U.S. lawyer, Mr. Clive Smith, and commended his efforts.
IHC directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit a detailed report on Mr. Smith’s declaration and to address the matter on a diplomatic level.
A few months ago, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar announced that there had been no success yet regarding the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. He explained that the government has attempted to persuade American leadership for her pardon but has yet to achieve success.