ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met with Dr Fouzia Siddiqui, sister of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, and assured that the government would continue to provide all possible legal and diplomatic support in the matter of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
The meeting came as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued contempt notices to the prime minister and other members of the federal cabinet last week for failing to submit a response in the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a neuroscientist and educator, was convicted by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on charges of attempted murder of US personnel in Afghanistan and has been serving her sentence at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Carswell in the US since 2010.
On July 12, the IHC expressed dissatisfaction over the federal government’s failure to submit a report in the case concerning Aafia’s release, health and repatriation, with Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq threatening to “summon the entire cabinet” if the report is not presented.
Justice Ishaq said in his court order that he had warned the additional attorney general while passing his previous ruling that further inaction on the part of the government would lead to the issuance of a contempt notice.
“The government filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against my earlier decision permitting amendments to the petition for continuation of this case,” the order read. “For whatever reason, the government’s case had not been taken up by the Supreme Court.”
The prime minister during the meeting said the government is in no way negligent regarding the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
The government has previously provided diplomatic and legal assistance in the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a press statement issued by the PM Office said.
Furthermore, the prime minister not only wrote a letter to then US President Joe Biden regarding this issue but also formed a committee headed by Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Azam Nazeer Tarar, to ensure further progress in the matter.
The committee will remain in contact with Dr Fouzia Siddiqui and will work to provide the necessary support in this regard, the statement added.
PPPA
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess progress on the appointment of technical experts across federal ministries and departments, and to discuss measures for enhancing foreign investment.
