Bureaucratic hurdles delaying Dr. Aafia Siddiqui release, says lawyer Imran Shafique Advocate

ISLAMABAD, August 18 (SABAH): Bureaucratic hurdles are delaying the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui release, said Imran Shafique Advocate, the lawyer of petitioner Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui here Friday.

Talking to media outside the court premises, Imran Shafique said Islamabad High Court IHC bench of Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan during previous hearing on Wednesday had directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the (MoFA) to show court the remaining ten ‘confidential’ documents regarding the counselor visits to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.

On Friday’s hearing the officials of the MoFA told the court that there is a simple rule about the confidentiality of government documents that the department where these documents are originated is empowered to decide if these papers are kept confidential or released. Hence, the Cabinet Division has nothing to do about the confidentiality of the documents of MoFA.

However, during in camera hearing the MoFA officials presented the paper before the court and the honorable court asked the MoFA to revisit the matter about the confidentiality of these papers. Later, the court adjoins the case to August 25.

However, Jamaat-e-Islami senior leader Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan talking to media said that they have increased further restrictions on Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in jail and she is thrown in a ‘hole’ and as per reports being subjected to violence, which is very worrisome.

He said the previous government dodged the courts and the nation with regard to Dr. Aafia matter and didn’t write to the US government and also didn’t form ministerial committee on the matter. He regretted that the MoFA instead being a facilitator in the Aafia Siddiqui case is creating more and more hurdles. He demanded of the caretaker government to write a letter to the US government on the case of Aafia and also form a ministerial committee. He said the key for release of Aafia is present not in Washington but in Islamabad and the Pakistani government should use this key to secure release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.