The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Interior Secretary to file a concise statement in the court explaining whether Dr Afia Siddiqui was handed over to American authorities or not. A single bench of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam gave the directives on a petition of M Javed Iqbal Jafferi against the alleged illegal detention of Dr Afia Siddiqui, a Pakistani national in Afghanistan.
Dr Afia Siddiqui with her three children was kidnapped three years ago from Karachi. Dr Afia is believed to be held at Bagram jail in Afghanistan by American authorities. Petitioner Barrister M Javed Iqbal Jafferi has made President Pervez Musharraf, former President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, Nawaz Sharif, Interior Secretary and legal counsel of the US embassy as respondents in the petition. M Javed Iqbal Jafferi, while making his submissions, requested the court to issue notices to all the respondents which the court denied.
The court adjourned the hearing till September 9 with a directive to the Interior Ministry to hand over the copy of the reply to the petitioner one week before the fixed date of hearing of the case.
M Javed Iqbal Jafferi prayed the court to order the government to explain how Dr Afia Siddiqui was handed over to American authorities? He also prayed that if Dr Afia is recovered from Afghan jail, she would be brought in the court.