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| Afghan govt contacts Aafia’s sister |
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Tuesday, September 02, 2008
By Mariana Baabar
ISLAMABAD: The government of Afghanistan contacted the family of Dr Aafia Siddiqui late on Sunday night and assured Aafia's sister that they were ready to hand over her 11-year old son Ahmed Siddiqui to the family.
The family sources confided to The News that Aafia's sister, Fauzia Siddiqui, is expected to reach Kabul next week to bring back young Ahmed to reunite him with the family. When contacted, the spokesman at the Foreign Office told The News: "I am not aware of the development that took place last night between the Kabul authorities and the Siddiqui family.
But the government, including our mission in Kabul, will assist in every possible manner. If we are approached by the family we will not hesitate. It was the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who in his meeting with the sister of Dr Aafia assured her of every possible assistance."
However, though the Foreign Office was expecting some communication from Kabul on Monday, the spokesman said that till Monday night they had heard nothing from Afghanistan. Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta had in a public statement said that Ahmed Siddiqui was in their custody and that he would be handed over to the family soon.
With the safe arrival of Ahmed, the pain and trauma of the missing children and the mother would certainly ease for some time. Maybe it is time the US authorities who lied in the first instance and said that they did not know about the whereabouts of the children, showed some moral courage to inform the family about the missing daughter and younger son of Dr Aafia as well.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
