Siraj urges govt to ensure Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s release

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq urged the government to take concrete measures for the recovery and repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from the US imprisonment.

He visited the residence of Dr Aafia’s mother Thursday to express solidarity with the affected family. Talking to media after the meeting, Siraj said handing over Dr Aafia by former president Pervez Musharraf to the US authorities was a matter of disgrace to the nation. “No one hands over own daughter to enemies but the then ruling regime did this to establish the worst example of trading its conscience,” he added.

Reminding Prime Minister Imran Khan of his promise, he urged him to stop neglecting the matter and decisively take up the issue with the US authorities. “At a time when the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay are being released, those accused for attacking the US are being shifted from black lists to ‘white list’ and Islamabad is playing an important role in safe repatriation of the US soldiers, we demand that the release of Dr Aafia be made a part of the package,” he further added. He said Dr Aafia was arrested illegally in 2003 under a designed conspiracy and was handed over to the US. Later in 2008 she was sentenced to 86 years in prison in a fabricated case. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan, former president Asif Ali Zardari and former premier Nawaz Sharif made several visits to the US but did nothing to bring Dr Aafia — whom they called the daughter of the nation — back. Thanking JI leadership for demanding Dr Aafia’s release, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui also demanded the government to repatriate her sister. She said it was noted on international forums that Dr Aafia was in the custody of those who were being taken care of in Islamabad.