IHC adjourns Dr. Aafia Siddiqui case till November 17

ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (SABAH): A single bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaque Khan here on Friday adjourned the hearing of a constitutional petition (3139/2015) about the health, life and repartition of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui till November 17.

The petitioner was represented by Advocate Imran Shafique. The lawyer of Aafia Siddiqui in USA Clive Stafford Smith requested the court to adjourn the hearing till November 15 as they have already been taking efforts in the US. The court accepting his submission adjoined the case till November 17.

The lawyer outside the court premises told media that they have requested for taking efforts for the health, life and repartition of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and the government is also taking steps in this regard. He said the court has already asked the government to take all-out steps in this regard.

However, as per the present doctor of Aafia Siddiqui: Aafia’s current position…She again has no access to commissary…no email…no phone….worse prison conditions for a duration no woman has endured.

However, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan talking on the occasion said that of all prisoners in American jails, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is in the worst condition. He said she has been in jail for more than 7500 days due to criminal negligence of successive Pakistani governments. He said there are several ways to seek urgent repartition of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui including filing review petition, and evoking humanitarian grounds but the government of Pakistan has to take action. He said during the visit of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to the US, he had telephoned him to take the Aafia case with the US government but sadly like the political governments, the caretaker government also failed to do so.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan demanded from the government to give a roadmap about the release of Aafia. He said he himself along with Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui intends to visit the US in December and to take legal steps possible for release of Aafia. He demanded of the government to take practical steps for the release of Aafia. He also asked the people of Pakistan to mount pressure on the government to take early steps to secure the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.