Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP), on Thursday, directed the government to contact relevant United States (US) authorities over recent reports of Aafia Siddiqui’s death.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Nisar heard a petition seeking Aafia’s repatriation filed by her sister Fauzia Siddiqui.

During the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that there were contentious reports regarding her death.

The CJP said that he had himself sought replies from the attorney general and the US Embassy regarding the matter.

While directing attorney general to contact the US Embassy to check if Aafia was alive, Justice Nisar said that the Pakistani General Counsel in the US had held a meeting with Aafia on May 28.

The CJP then sought a certificate from US officials declaring that Aafia was alive.

Earlier on Thursday, the CJP had rejected objections put forth by the Supreme Court Registrar Office while hearing the appeal in his chamber.

The application was filed by Aafia’s sister Fauzia last month.

An Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate, Aafia went missing for five years before she was found in Afghanistan. She was arrested in July 2008 by the Afghan police, who claimed that she was carrying containers of chemicals and notes referring to mass-casualty attacks and New York landmarks.

She has also been accused of working for al Qaeda. Aafia allegedly opened fire on a United States (US) soldier during interrogation. In 2010, a federal court in New York sentenced Aafia to 86 years of imprisonment for the attempted murder of US officers in Afghanistan.

Published in Daily Times, June 8^th 2018.