Dr Aafia Siddiqui's release: Pak delegation’s planned visit to US in limbo

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court was informed on Friday that the planned visit of a Pakistani delegation to the United States, seeking Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s release, was in jeopardy due to a lack of response from the White House, the State Department and the Department of Justice.

According to a statement issued by the Aafia Movement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent multiple requests to schedule meetings with US officials, but these went unanswered.

The court proceedings led by Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaque Khan centered on a petition filed by Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, Aafia’s sister, against the federal government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr Fowzia appearing via video link was joined by several legal representatives including Clive A Stafford Smith and Zainab Janjua.

According to the latest submission from Clive A Stafford Smith, it was revealed that the delegation’s visit to the US faced a significant challenge as the US administration had not responded to the ministry’s letters requesting meetings at crucial government offices.

This delay has left the delegation in limbo on whether they should fund the visit privately or wait for government funding which is contingent on the visit being deemed official.

The government has expressed willingness to cover expenses if the visit is considered official but has stated that non-official visits do not qualify for funding under current norms.

Dr Fowzia expressed concern over the delay which is increasing the cost of the trip and putting the travel plans at risk.

In the worst case scenario, she said she and her fellow delegate Dr Iqbal would bear their own expenses as they did over the last two decades while others involved in the mission might also have to fund their own participation. This means that the government delegation including key parliament members may fail to attend meetings at the White House and other US offices.

MoFA representative Mr Hamza assured the court that efforts would be made to retrieve the delegation’s passports by Monday.

Dr Fowzia continued to express frustration with the government’s lack of urgency and coordination. Despite ongoing difficulties, she reiterated her commitment to funding the trip from her personal resources, stating that

the real issue lies with the lack of facilitation by the Pakistani embassy in the US.

She emphasized that the embassy should play a more active role in ensuring the delegation’s success and that all obstacles be cleared to facilitate the mission.