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Has the govt abandoned Dr Aafia?
ISLAMABAD – The government has quietly taken a U-turn on Aafia Siddiqui’s case letting the Americans decide her fate, top-level credible sources told TheNation on Thursday.
To the shock and disbelief of common Pakistanis, government authorities have quietly conveyed to the Americans that Pakistan is no more interested to pursue this case, said the sources.
According to New York based credible sources, Pakistani officials stationed in New York and Washington believed Aafia might emerge like a political heroine after securing release from the US detention, causing trouble for the incumbent government.
Aafia Siddiqui: Victimized by American Depravity
by Stephen Lendman
Her trial proceedings were carefully orchestrated. Witnesses were either enlisted, pressured, coerced, and/or bought off to cooperate, then jurors were intimidated to convict, her attorney, Elaine Whitfield Sharp, saying their verdict was “based on fear, not fact.”
On February 3, 2010, after a sham trial, the Department of Justice announced Siddiqui’s conviction for “attempting to murder US nationals in Afghanistan and six additional charges.” When sentenced on May 6, she faces up to 20 years for each attempted murder charge, possible life in prison on the firearms charge, and eight years on each assault charge.
In March 2003, after visiting her family in Karachi, Pakistan, government Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents, in collaboration with Washington, abducted Siddiqui and her three children en route to the airport for a flight to Rawalpindi, handed them over to US authorities who took them secretly to Bagram prison, Afghanistan for more than five years of brutal torture and unspeakable abuse, including vicious beatings and repeated raping.
Video : Dr. Aafia Family Interview – 26 March 2010
Video : Dr. Aafia Family Interview – 26 March 2010
SOURCE : Pkpolitics.com
MIRROR
Dr Aafia’s detention
The anger that one feels at the arbitrary arrest of Dr Aafia get further intensified as she completes seven years of detention. And thoughts inevitably turn to the fate of her three children, 9-year old Maryam and two young sons who went missing with her. Their abduction, for which her sister Dr Fouzia points a finger at the US, is condemnable to say the least.
This is not simply the height of moral degradation; it shows a ruthless feature of the war on terror, a fiendish plot that has dragged the little kids into it. At first, the US authorities confirmed that one of her sons was in their custody but later they retracted. However, the family is of the firm belief that they are being held captives either by the FBI or some intelligence agency in Pakistan.
‘Aggrieved Aafia’ and America
By Nighat Leghari
After having implicated Dr Aafia Siddiqui in a false and fabricated case and keeping her in a secret prison for seven long years, the US court of justice have given the verdict which provided a laugh line to the world jurists community. Coming out form the court house even the defense Attorney, Linda Moreno wearing a worn out smile said, “Now I have no faith in American justice system. I completely disagree with this partisan verdict we will go into an appeal against this verdict. She further revealed in her closing statement “The case is about “Fear versus Facts”.
The prosecutor portrayed Dr. Aafia as a terrorist, though she was not charged with any terrorism offences but prosecutor charged her as “would be terrorist”. The verdict she said explains the fear versus facts but I say there is no room for fear in the court room, it indicated that verdict of the jurors took over fear of the US justice system.
Pakistani delegation urged to seek Aafia’s return
PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami Naib Amir Siraj ul Haq said Thursday that the ongoing visit of high-level Pakistani delegation to the United States for holding strategic talks would be considered a failure if it failed to secure the honorable release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqi from the US detention.
Addressing a press conference here, Haq said that Pakistani nation wants honorable return of Aafia, not the US aid.
He said that Pakistani should push for resolution of Aafia’s issue during the visit. If they return empty-handed, the visit would be declared a failure, he commented.
Dr Aafia has no connection with terrorists
KARACHI: British Muslim journalist Maryam Ridley has said Tuesday that Dr Aafia Siddique has no connection with any terrorist organisation, including Al-qaeeda and Taliban.
Ridley voiced these views while addressing students of Institute of Business Administration in Karachi. She said that Dr Aafia’s case has been presented in front of American Jury in dramatic way and was charged with baseless allegations.
Release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui demanded
GOLARCHI: The members of the Pakistan Human Rights Development Organization (PHRDO) Golarchi chapter under the leadership of Afzal Arain, Ghulam Mustafa Khokhar, Afzal Shah and others took out a protest rally for release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui on Sunday.
The participants of the rally marched through various roads of the city and reached outside the Naushehro Feroze Press Club.
Addressing on the occasion, the protesting leaders strongly condemned the arrest of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui by American authorities.
They said that Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was convicted in a false case by an American jury.
Sister, mother of Dr. Aafia Siddiqi calls on Rehman Malik
KARACHI, March 21 (APP): Sister of Dr. Aafia Siddiqi, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqi along with her mother met with Interior Minister, Rehman Malik at the Chief Minister House here on Sunday. During the meeting, the Federal Minister for Interior assured them about the progress in the case and release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqi.
Dr. Fauzia Siddiqi handed over the snaps of children of Dr. Aafia Siddiqi to Rehman Malik and sought the government’s help to search them.
The Federal Interior Minister assured them of full cooperation to search the children.
British journalist backs Aafia case
KARACHI: A press conference arranged by “The Free Aafia Campaign” was held at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday.
On the occasion, British journalist Maryam Yvonne Ridley criticised the American and European media and said they had done nothing to provide justice to Dr Aafia.
“Pakistanis will have to start demonstrations to stimulate their political leaders to do something for bringing Aafia and her children back home,” she said.
