Parliament should pass a resolution for clemency to Dr Aafia Siddiqui:MushtaqAhmed Khan

ISLAMABAD, Dec 20 (SABAH): Former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has suggested that the Parliament should pass a resolution demanding that the ongoing US President Joe Biden should approve the clemency petition of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

Talking to media outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after the hearing of Dr Aafia Siddiqui case, he said the National Assembly, Senate, or the joint sitting of Parliament should pass a resolution for giving clemency to Dr Aafia.

He suggested that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar should be sent to the USA immediately to talk to the US administration about the letter of Pakistani Prime Shehbaz Sharif regarding the clemency petition of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. He said it seems that the government is no serious in persuading the US government about the clemency issue.

Earlier, the single bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) of Justice SardarEjazIshaque heard the constitutional petition of Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, seeking the release of her sister Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

Dr FowziaSiddiqui’s lawyer Imran Shafique told the media that the delegation of Pakistan that it was necessary that Dr Fowzia Siddiqui should have been the part of yhe delegation that visited the US over the issue of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, but Dr Fowzia Siddiqui was not given the visa of the required category. The other members of the delegation recieved their visas very late and their important meetings could not take place. Hence, the purpose of the delegation could not be served.

Moreover, the Pakistani ambassador in the US in his meetings didn’t highlight the issue of Dr Aafia. He or any of his senior subordinates didn’t attend any meeting of the delegation on the pretext of interference into internal matters of another country.

He said we have requested the court that the visit of Dr Fowzia to the US from 9th Jan to 29th Jan is necessary as a final push to the Aafia clemency petition and the government of Pakistan and its embassy in the US should fully facilitate this visit.

He said that the court has asked that her visit should be fully facilitated. The court observed that it seems that government and MoFA are not working in the same direction and it seems that there is something missing.

He said that Dr Fowzia Siddiqui has requested to know if the US government has acknowledged the receipt of the letter of the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the MoFA has submitted that they have not yet recovered a formal acknowledgement of receipt. He said this matter is very surprising.

He said the court has also sought the details of the foreign visits of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister since the clemency petition for Dr Aafia Siddiqui has filed so as to know if this issue is highlighted during these visits and meetings. However, the court adjourned the hearing till January 13, 2025.