ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has issued a clarification regarding his recent remarks on the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, saying that his comments have been “misinterpreted and taken out of context”.
Taking to X, Dar explained that during his appearance at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, a reference he made to Dr Aafia’s case while responding to a question about former prime minister Imran Khan’s legal proceedings in Pakistan was misconstrued.
“My reference to Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s case during my response to a question about Imran Khan’s legal matters was taken out of context,” he said, adding that successive PMLN governments have consistently extended full diplomatic and legal support for her release and would continue to do so until her repatriation is achieved.
Highlighting the importance of respecting the judicial processes of sovereign states, he said: “Every country has its own legal and judicial systems that must be respected — whether it is Pakistan or the United States.”
Dar reaffirmed that the government’s stance on Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s case remains “firm and unambiguous”.
The foreign minister, who is currently on a visit to the US, spoke at the Atlantic Council in Washington and responded to a question concerning Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s legal proceedings by saying that a fair legal process is underway in Pakistan.
In his reply, he compared it to Dr Aafia’s prolonged incarceration in the United States, noting that her detention should not be viewed as a failure of legal procedures. “Pakistan did not interfere in that process because the Americans had followed their judicial system.”
Similarly, he said, Imran was sentenced by Pakistan’s judiciary, which followed the due process of law. “When the due process is followed, others do not have the right to interfere,” he said.
“If Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s imprisonment is the result of a legitimate legal process, then the same interpretation should apply universally,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Saturday rejected outright and strongly condemned the ‘disgraceful and hypocritical’ statement made by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during his recent visit to the United States, where he drew a parallel between the unlawful incarceration of PTI founder Imran Khan and the unjust detention of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. A PTI spokesperson, in a statement issued from the party central media secretariat here, said that this comparison was nothing more than a desperate and false attempt to justify the political persecution of the most popular leader of the Muslim world under the guise of legal proceedings.
He said that this statement by Dar was not only blatantly false but a disturbing reflection of deep-rooted malice, blind servitude and the utter moral bankruptcy of those in power as well as an insult to both truth and national dignity.
PTI spokesperson stated that this flip-flop approach by the incumbent unrepresentative regime was a clear reflection of its two-faced and hypocritical policy because on the one hand, the government acknowledged that Imran Khan is the most popular leader in Pakistan, yet on the other, it fabricated baseless and absurd allegations of attacks on the state in a desperate attempt to silence him.
Reuters adds: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday the United States and Pakistan were “very close” to a trade deal that could come within days, but comments from the US after Dar met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned no timeline.
“I think we are very close to finalising a deal with US. Our teams have been here in Washington, discussing, having virtual meetings and a committee has been tasked by the prime minister to fine-tune now,” Dar said in a discussion at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington. “It’s not going to be months, not even weeks, I would say (just) days,” he said.
The US State Department and Pakistan’s foreign ministry, in separate statements after Rubio’s meeting with Dar, said the two stressed in their discussion the importance of expanding trade and ties in critical minerals and mining. A post by Rubio on X after the meeting and the State Department’s statement mentioned no timeline for finalising a trade deal. The Pakistan foreign ministry also said Dar “appreciated the pivotal role” by Trump and Rubio “in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India by facilitating a ceasefire.” The State Department statement did not mention India.
Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire he announced on social media on May 10 after Washington held talks with both sides.
