Govt urged to use influence for Aafia’s release

LAHORE

JI woman MNA Begum Aisha Syed has demanded the government use its influence over the outgoing US President Obama for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui on humanitarian grounds. 

In a statement on Monday, Ms Aisha Syed said the government was silent over Dr Aafia’s case. She said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his 2013 election campaign had promised Dr Aafia’s mother that he would bring her daughter back, but no serious effort was made for her release so far.

Aisha Syed noted that Dr Aafia’s counsel from the US had told JI ameer Senator Sirajul Haq if president or prime minister of Pakistan had made an appeal to President Obama, Dr Aafia would have been released.

She said before his departure from White House, Obama had ordered release of hundreds of prisoners and most of them had already been released.