Clive Stafford Smith, the US lawyer for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, will come to Pakistan on May 4. His visit will help with her case for release and repatriation. Imran Shafique, Siddiqui’s local attorney, announced this at a recent hearing in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
During the hearing, Shafique asked the court to delay the session until May 6. This extra time will allow him to consult with Smith regarding Siddiqui’s case. Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan agreed and set the new hearing date, with no objections from government representatives.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was born in 1972 in Karachi. She became well-known after her arrest in Afghanistan in 2008. Siddiqui was charged with trying to kill US agents. However, she was never directly connected to terrorism. Before her capture, she disappeared with her children and earned the title “Lady Al-Qaeda.”
The Pakistani government recently turned down a proposal to free Siddiqui in exchange for Dr. Shakil Afridi, a doctor who helped the CIA. Siddiqui is now serving an 86-year sentence in the US after her conviction in 2010.