ISLAMABAD: Â Islamabad High Court on Monday ordered that documents and information related to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently imprisoned in the United States, should be shared with her lawyer, American lawyer Claiborne Smith, to prepare her case.
The court also ordered the Foreign Ministry to assist in arranging an independent doctor for her psychological check-up. The purpose of sharing the information with the American lawyer is to prepare the case.
Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, the sister of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, has been granted a visa to visit her sister in an American jail from May 29 to 31. American lawyer Claiborne Smith will also meet Aafia Siddiqui with Fauzia Siddiqui. The court has ordered that the documents shared by Claiborne Smith will remain confidential, and he will ensure that the information is not used for any other purpose than the case.
The Islamabad High Court heard the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s release from US custody and her transfer to Pakistan. Justice Sardar Aijaz Ahmed Khan of the Islamabad High Court presided over the hearing.
During the hearing, the Additional Attorney General informed the court that Fauzia Siddiqui has been granted a visa to visit the United States. The requestor’s lawyer stated that Fauzia Siddiqui should be an independent doctor for her psychological check-up, to which the court ordered the Foreign Ministry to provide assistance in arranging a doctor.
The court directed Fauzia Siddiqui to submit requests whenever there is an issue, and it will be heard the next day. The hearing of the case has been adjourned until June 30th.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, was arrested in Afghanistan in 2008 and convicted in the United States in 2010 of trying to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. Her supporters in Pakistan believe that she is innocent and was wrongly convicted. They have been campaigning for her release for many years.
Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui has been actively campaigning for her sister’s release and has met with various government officials in Pakistan and the United States. The latest development in the case is seen as a positive step towards her eventual release and transfer to Pakistan.
