Pakistan asks US to probe assault on Dr Aafia

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has lodged a formal complaint with the authorities in the United States (US) to investigate the assault on Dr Aafia Siddiqui in prison, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said on Saturday.

"We lodged a formal complaint with the relevant US authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure the safety and well-being of Dr Siddiqui," Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in response to media queries.

The spokesperson said, "We learnt of an assault on Dr Aafia Siddiqui by a fellow inmate at FMC Carswell on 30 July, 2021. Our embassy in Washington DC as well as our Consulate General in Houston immediately took up the matter with the concerned US authorities," he said.

He mentioned that Pakistan's Consul General in Houston visited Dr Siddiqui immediately to ascertain her well-being. She had received some minor injuries, but was doing fine.

The FO spokesperson said both the embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC and the Consulate General in Houston continued to make every effort to ensure that Dr Siddiqui was properly looked after during her incarceration at FMC Carswell.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui is serving an 86-year sentence at a US prison named Federal Medical Center, Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas.