* Talha Mehmood says senators’ attitude shows their lack of interest in Aafia’s release
* Dr Aafia’s sister wants family left alone

By Tahir Niaz

ISLAMABAD: The behaviour of senators Haji Adeel of the Awami National Party and Tahir Hussain Mashaddi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement marred the proceedings of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, which was summoned to evolve a joint strategy for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

The two senators objected to the “way committee Chairman Talha Mehmood was conducting the proceedings”, besides criticising the presence of representatives from all political parties to discuss the possible efforts for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. On Haji Adeel’s remarks regarding “other participants of the meeting”, MNA Sheikh Waqas Akram – a special invitee to the meeting – walked out in protest. Other representatives of political parties also criticised the remarks by Adeel.

Release: Talha Mehmood said, “The attitude of the senators shows how non-serious they are for the release of Dr Aafia. Later, members of the committee expressed concern over the government’s failure to take up the issue of Dr Aafia’s release with the US. The members said it was a deliberate attempt on the part of the government to save the people involved in kidnapping Dr Aafia and handing her over to the US. They called upon the Pakistani court to write a letter to the US court asking it to apply its discretion and drop the charges against Dr Aafia. The meeting wasd held at the headquarters of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The meeting held former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf and then Sindh inspector general Kamal Shah responsible for the kidnapping of Dr Aafia and her children, saying the present government should take action against the two and all other individuals who were responsible. Senator Mehmood told the meeting about the efforts the standing committee had made for the release and return of Dr Aafia, saying the entire nation is united for her return.

The committee chairman assured Dr Aafia’s sister, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui that the negative attitude of some people would not deter him or his colleagues from striving for her sister’s release and return.

Issue: Dr Fauzia expressed dissatisfaction over the discouraging efforts of some political leaders hailing from secular political parties, saying there was no need to politicise the issue. She asked for the family to be left alone.

SOURCE : Dailytimes.com.pk

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