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Students protest Aafia’s conviction
ISLAMABAD: The students of different colleges of the federal capital staged a protest rally on Saturday at Aabpara Chock against the conviction of Pakistani neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddique by the American jury.
The protesters were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the government and in favor of Afia. They said the government was not taking serious steps for her release from the US prison.
Addressing the protesters, the student leaders said misbehaviour of United States, ‘so-called’ champion of human rights and the silence of European leaders over the issue showed their enmity with Muslims.
Govt not to tolerate torture of Dr Aafia
LAHORE : FEDERAL Minister for Human Rights Syed Mumtaz Ali Gilani has said that the government will not tolerate any kind of torture of Dr Afia Siddiqui by the American authorities and it is making all-out efforts to bring her back in the country.
Addressing to a seminar on the subject “Human rights violation of Dr Afia Siddiqui, Kashmiris and minorities” organised by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, he said the government was well aware of Dr Aafia’s condition and it was pursuing her case diligently. He made it clear that Pakistan would not flinch an inch from its stand on the Kashmir issue and wanted serious talks with India on Kashmir and water. The minister also announced a grant of Rs 5 million for the Bar. LHCBA President Nasira Iqbal said seeking justice was the fundamental right of every citizen but the goal of speedy dispensation of justice could not be achieved unless the judges’ vacant seats were filled. She pointed out that 40 seats of judges were lying vacant in the LHC for more than two months and the LHC CJ had sent a summary of judges’ appointment but the government had not approved it so far. She urged the government to fill judges’ seat at once to lessen people’s miseries.
Students protest against Dr Aafia verdict at Liberty Chowk
LAHORE: Around 200 students of different universities of the city on Friday staged a protest in favour of Dr Aafia Siddiqui and other missing persons at the Liberty roundabout.
The Students Action Committee (SAC) had organised the protest, which was attended by students and faculty members of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Punjab University (PU), Beaconhouse National University (BNU), Foundation for Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST), University of Management and Technology (UMT) and National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES).
Students chanted slogans in favour of Dr Aafia as well as against the US and demanded the government bring her back from the US and try her in local courts. They were holding posters of Aafia while many wore black armbands and distributed pamphlets among the participants.
Pak govt. to take all action to defend Aafia: Minister
Islamabad : The Pakistan government would take all necessary step needed to defend Dr. Aafia Siddiqui during the final hearing, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Malik Ammad said.
Siddiqui, a trained neuroscientists, has been indicted by a Manhattan court on terrorism charges.
Addressing the National Assembly (NA), Ammad said all evidence against Aafia is insubstantial, and the government is pledged to work for her safe release from American jail.
“It was due to the government’s efforts that a delegation of Pakistani politicians succeeded in meeting Aafia. It is because of our government that she was able to contact her family. This way, her son was recovered, and three well reputed legal experts hired on her request,” he said.
Peaceful march held for Aafia’s early release
ISLAMABAD – A peaceful walk held on Thursday organised by Pakistan Professional Forum to protest the conviction of Dr Aafia Siddiqui by the US court.
The peaceful walk in which representatives of civil society, a large number of students, families of missing persons and activists of Human Rights of Pakistan participated began from Kalsum Plaza Jinnah Avenue Blue Area and culminated at China Chowk.
The participants were holding placards in their hands inscribed with slogans like ‘Free Aafia’ ‘No to US friendship’ Govt recover 10,000 missing persons. They also chanted slogans. Chairperson of Defence of Human Rights Pakistan, Amina Masood Janjua, said, “We are civilised nation, as our peaceful walk witnessed this action but,” no one, she said, “should consider it our weakness.”
DR AAFIA ACCUSES ISI OF ABDUCTING HER
After the guilty verdict in the high profile trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in New York, defense attorney Elaine Sharp- the only member of the defense team that Dr. Siddiqui has any relations with said: “Dr. Siddiqui told us that she was picked-up by Pakistani men in two black cars. These were people of Pakistani intelligence. You know- she said ISI.”
Following guilty verdict several popular TV Talk Show hosts in Pakistan also questioned ISI’s role in her alleged abduction in 2003. Common sentiments were that the ‘daughter of the nation’ was arrested and handed over to the Americans.
Mention of ISI evokes several conflicting emotions – and fear for Pakistanis. Just as mentioning CIA occasionally evokes images of global conspiracy and the KGB calls gulags to mind, the ISI has come to represent political deceit in Pakistan. And, during General Pervez Musharraf’s rule as more and more Pakistanis started to disappear in thin air, ISI became more enigmatic.
Govt targeted for mishandling Aafia case
ISLAMABAD – Terming the repatriation of Dr Aafia a common cause, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Malik Amad Thursday assured the National Assembly that the government would fully defend her till the final hearing.
Winding up the discussion on Dr. Aafia’s conviction, he said that the evidence against her was very weak as both the witnesses gave contradicting statements. However, the lawyers had advised her not to give statement.
He welcomed the suggestion of Faisal Saleh Hayat for constituting a parliamentary delegation to US to pursue Obama and Hillary for the release of Dr Aafia.
Earlier, taking part in the discussion, Faisal said that he was the only one who asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for Aafia’s release if US wanted to improve its image in Pakistan.
‘Govt will fully support Aafia in final hearing’
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: State Minister of Foreign Affairs Malik Ammad on Thursday assured the National Assembly (NA) that the government would fully defend Dr Aafia Siddiqui in the final hearing.
While talking about Aafia’s conviction in the National Assembly (NA), Ammad said the evidence against her was insubstantial, and the statements of the two witnesses contradictory. He stated the government was laying emphasis on her release and that the president, prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan had been addressing this issue at every public forum.
Govt handling of Aafia case criticised in NA
ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday reassured the National Assembly that it would put up a strong defence of Dr Aafia Siddiqui and make every possible effort to secure her release, as both treasury and the opposition benches criticised it for weak defence. They described the US court’s verdict against Dr Aafia as “miscarriage of justice”.
The National Assembly debated the issue on an adjournment motion, demanding action against those who handed her over to the United States and spending $2 million on a weak legal team that failed to defend her.
PML-Q parliamentary leader Makhdoom Faisal Salah Hayat proposed creation of a parliamentary caucus for interaction with the US Congress and the Obama administration for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. The government agreed but remained non-committal.
Government vows good defence for Aafia Siddiqui
ISLAMABAD: The government assured the National Assembly on Thursday it would put up a “good defence” for Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui even at the next stage of her trial by a US court where a jury last week found her guilty of attempting to murder American soldiers in Afghanistan.
“Justice is not being done (to her),” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Amad Ahmed Khan said at the end of a one-sided debate in apparently Islamabad’s strongest comment to date in what he called “a common cause” against the Feb 3 conviction in New York.
He complained of that a Pakistani woman had been “maltreated” and said: “We all agree that somehow she should be brought back (to Pakistan).”
