IHC seeks reports from FO regarding wellbeing of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD, April 04 (SABAH): Dr. Aafia Siddiqui case was fixed for hearing before the court of Justice Sardar Aijaz Ishaque Khan of Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Advocate Sajid Qureshi represented Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, the sister of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, while deputy attorney general was also present. The lawyer of Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui appraised the court briefly about the situation of the case of Dr. Aafia and said that there is no improvement in the situation whatsoever. She is still in the captivity and the US authorities are not ready to release her under any circumstances. There are certain domestic laws, international laws, treaties and bilateral arrangements that can bring her back. Certain countries have already done this and there are record precedent by India, Saudi Arabia, Czechosolvakia, Iran and other places that have used the bilateral arrangements to bring back prisoners. He informed the honorable court that directives can be given to Foreign Office and the Prime Minister office to facilitate her return so that could be brought back immediately.

The honorable judge passed an interim order directing the Foreign Office to provide regular report about the wellbeing of Dr. Aafia amid the rumors that she is not alive. The new date of the hearing of the case would be fixed in next weeks.