Clemency for Dr Aafia Siddiqui: MoFA tells IHC: no response from US on PM’s letter as yet

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Friday, informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that no response had been received from the US President regarding a letter written by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the return of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan on Friday heard a constitutional petition of Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, who moved the court through advocate Imran Shafiq.

The bench sought details of PM Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s foreign visits, since the filing of Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s clemency petition in the United States.

Dr Fowzia, along with her lawyer Imran Shafiq, former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, and other representatives, appeared via video link. Additional Attorney General and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials attended the hearing, while Dr Aafia’s lawyer in US, Clive Smith, submitted a declaration in court.

Justice Ishaq appreciated Clive Smith’s declaration. He asked why Pakistani ambassador in USA was not involved in the Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s issue. The representative of Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that no response had been received still from the US president regarding a letter written by PM Shehbaz Sharif about Dr Aafia’s case.

The court expressed concerns about the lack of response and emphasised that the Pakistani ambassador in the US should have arranged a meeting with the Biden administration regarding the issue.

The IHC bench directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit a detailed report on the declaration of Dr Aafia’s US lawyer and directed them to handle the matter at the diplomatic level.

The judge remarked that the US is a sovereign country, and it can reject Dr Fowzia’s visa. The US can also reject the prime minister’s visa but such matters must be dealt with at the diplomatic level.

Dr Fowzia stated that when the chief executive of one country writes a letter to the executive of another country, a response is mandatory. The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that no response had been received to the letter written by Pakistan’s prime minister to US President Joe Biden, and that the Pakistani mission in the US had completed arrangements for a delegation to meet Dr Aafia.

The court inquired from the additional attorney general why the delegation arrived late according to the documents, and asked, “Where was your ambassador?”

Justice Ishaq remarked that such matters are always handled by the ambassador. He added that the country’s executive wrote a letter, and there was no response, what should we understand from this? The Pakistani ambassador in the US should have arranged a meeting between the delegation and the Biden administration. Later, the bench deferred hearing of the case till January 13 for further proceedings.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024