The federation's standing counsel informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday that Dr Aafia Siddiqui is a USA citizen and the American court has awarded her punishment in a case so the Pakistani government cannot issue any "dictation" in this regard. Appearing before a single-bench of Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi, federation's standing counsel Raja Khalid Mehmood, in response to a plea, submitted that the Pakistani government has also provided a lawyers' team.
Dr Aafia Siddiqui's sister Dr Fouzia Siddiqui has invoked the IHC jurisdiction seeking directives for the federation's intervention to arrange a meeting of Aafia's relatives in the US as she, despite the passage of over two years, was not able to see her sister. Siddiqui's counsel Sajid Qureshi alleged that federal government was not paying heed to address the matter, saying the relatives of Dr Aafia were not sure whether or not she was alive. Qureshi termed the federation's response in the current matter as a violation of the constitutional provisions.
During the course of hearing, Justice Qureshi remarked that a man came from the US and managed to get Raymond Davis acquitted from a Pakistani jail but "what step has the Pakistani government taken in Dr Aafia Siddiqui case". To which standing counsel Raja Khalid Mehmood responded that Pakistani diplomats have regularly conducted meeting with Dr Aafia Siddiqui in USA jail amid providing legal service saying even her brother who is currently resident of the USA had avoided to see his sister there.
He said that heirs of deceased person forgave Raymond Davis after which he was acquitted in the case, adding that heirs of Dr Aafia Siddiqui have not been restricted to meet her in USA. After hearing the arguments of the both sides, the bench adjourned the proceedings for an interim decision in the matter for indefinite period.
Comments
Comments are closed.