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Aafia’s return may not be demanded: Kaira
ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that Constitutional Reforms Committee (CRC) will hopefully complete its task till upcoming March 23.
Talking to the media persons after the conclusion session of a workshop titled “Strategic Communications, Public and Culture Diplomacy” organised at Information Service Academy, Kaira said that after the mutual consensus of other political parties and formal sanction of the Parliament, the draft of Charter of Democracy would become part of the Constitution.
Responding to a question, Kaira said the Government was providing legal aid to Dr Aafia, adding it was not necessary that Government of Pakistan would demand of the US government to handover Dr Aafia.
NA body asks govt to move ICJ for Aafia’s release
ISLAMABAD (Online) – The Standing Committee of the National Assembly has directed the Ministry of Law, Foreign Affairs and human rights organisations to finalise a strategy collectively to move to International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
The NA Standing Committee met here Wednesday with Riaz Fatayana in the chair. Dr Fauzai Sadiqui, sister of Dr Aafia Saddiqui, attended the meeting on the special invitation. The committee reviewed the measures taken by the government regarding release of Dr Aafia.
Dr Fauzia termed the performance of Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani as unsatisfactorily. Riaz Fatayana said law regarding trial of any accused inside the local court before handing over to foreign country exists. Trial against Dr Aafia should have been held in Pakistan or Afghanistan, the committee said. Member NA Standing Committee Javed Hashmi on the occasion said Hussain Haqqani failed to satisfy him during his visit to the Untied States on the issue of Dr Aafia.
People urged to struggle for release of Dr Aafia
Islamabad : Pakistan Professionals Forum (PPF) and the civil society based in the federal capital staged a protest rally here Wednesday at Aabpara Chowk to condemn and reject, in unequivocal terms, the illegal detention and conviction of Dr Aafia Siddiqui by the NY court.
The protestors including doctors, engineers, lawyers, academicians, students, and other professionals, while carrying placards and banners, chanted slogans and demanded international human rights organisations to play their due role in the release of Aafia Siddiqui.
The rally was addressed by Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, the sister of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, President PPF Asif Luqman Qazi, Chairperson Defence of Human Rights Amina Janjua, and other civil society activists and student leaders.
Dr Aafia’s birthday celebrated in Karachi
By Saleem Chandio and Bachal Chandio
KARACHI: On the directives of the president of the Pasban, Altaf Shakoor, the birthday ceremony of Dr Aafia Siddiqui was celebrated here on Tuesday.
The main event in this regard was held at the Karachi Press Club in which a large number of the people belonging to different walks of life participated and paid rich tributes to the brave Pakistani lady, who is presently languishing in a US prison. Cake was cut while a number of pigeons and balloons were also released. President Pasban Altaf Shakoor, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, and civil society representatives were also present on the occasion.
Rally for release of Dr Aafia today
Islamabad : The Pakistan Professional Forum (PPF) will stage a rally at Aabpara Chowk here today (Wednesday) to press the government for securing release of detained Pakistani neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from the US.
Dr. Aafia’s sister, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, will address the rally to be attended people from different walks of life, especially civil society activists and students.
An American court convicted Dr. Aafia over charges that she tried to kill Americans during her detention in Afghanistan in 2008. A family lawyer immediately announced an appeal, citing ‘prejudice and bias’.
Search for Dr Aafia’s daughter yields startling results
By Saeed Minhas
ISLAMABAD: During efforts to trace Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s missing 11-year-old daughter Mariam, international organisations have stumbled upon nearly a dozen juvenile girls who have been languishing in several Afghan jails, sources privy to the search told Daily Times on Tuesday.
Not much is known about these girls, and most are referred to by the numbers allotted to them, just like Dr Aafia was. Sources said that during their visits to some of the jails, they requested the authorities to transfer these girls out of captivity to a safer place because the harsh environment in these prisons might “ruin their lives”.
Daily Times also learnt that DNA tests of three girls aged between 11 and 12 – who did not appear to be Afghans – were conducted in an attempt to find Mariam, but the tests came back negative.
Pasban finalizes its arrangements to celebrate Dr Aafia’s birthday on March 2nd
Karachi: To celebrate the birthday of Dr Aafia Siddiqui falling tomorrow (March 2nd), Pasban Pakistan has finalized its nationwide arrangements.
The president of the Pasban Pakistan, Altaf Shakoor on Sunday instructed the Pasban provincial, district, city and Taluka presidents and general secretaries to hold programs across the country to celebrate the birthday of the ‘Daughter of Nation’ in a befitting manner. In these programs social, political, religious, human rights and legal fraternity leaders will be invited, besides ensuring a massive participation of the general public.
He said that these programmes will give a loud and clear message to the rulers that the entire nation is supportinmg Dr Aafia and demanding her early release and repatriation from the US illegal detention.
Pak Govt. should send delegation to US to get Aafia freed: Imran Khan
Lahore : Former Pakistani captain Imran Khan has called on the Pakistan Government to send an official delegation to the US to negotiate the release of terrorism-accused Pakistani neurologist, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.
Addressing a press conference, Khan also urged the PML-N to play the role of a responsible opposition party and raise the Aafia issue in the National Assembly.
The Dawn quoted Khan as saying that the PPP Government should take concrete steps for Dr Aafia’s release, and the entire nation should stand united on the issue.
Pakistani MPs take up cause of Aafia Siddiqui
Pakistani lawmakers have passed a resolution in parliament urging the government to pressure the United States to immediately release Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently in prison in the US.
On Monday, parliamentarians from the ruling party and opposition benches in the Pakistani Senate, which is the upper house of parliament, adopted a resolution expressing grave concern over the US court conviction of Dr. Siddiqui last month, a Press TV correspondent reported on Monday.
A jury in the United States found Aafia Siddiqui guilty on charges of shooting at FBI agents and US military personnel in a police station in Ghazni, Afghanistan, where she was being interrogated in 2008.
