Court Seeks Details of PM and Foreign Minister’s Foreign Visits After No Response to Letter on Aafia Siddiqui Case

The Islamabad High Court has asked for the details of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s international visits following the lack of response from the United States to a letter written by the Prime Minister regarding Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s case. The court raised concerns during a hearing on the matter, especially after a petition for Dr. Siddiqui’s release and return to Pakistan was filed by her sister, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui.
During the hearing, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui appeared via video link, while her lawyer, Imran Shafique, and former Senator Mushatq also represented her. A senior representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Additional Attorney General were present in court. The declaration from Dr. Aafia’s U.S. lawyer, Clive Smith, was submitted, which the court acknowledged positively.
The Islamabad High Court directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide a detailed report on the U.S. lawyer’s declaration and advised that diplomatic channels be used to resolve the matter.
Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan remarked that while the U.S. is a sovereign nation and has the right to reject visas, these issues should ideally be handled at a diplomatic level. Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui emphasized that when the head of state of one country writes a letter to the head of another country, it is expected that a response would be forthcoming.
A representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the court that there had been no reply from U.S. President Joe Biden to the letter written by Pakistan’s Prime Minister. Additionally, the Pakistani mission in the U.S. had made arrangements for a delegation to meet Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, though they arrived late.
The court also questioned the whereabouts of the Pakistani ambassador, given that such matters are usually handled by the ambassador. Justice Khan pointed out that if the country’s head of state writes a letter, and there is no response, it raises concerns about the handling of the situation.
The court then asked for the details of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s foreign visits and deferred the hearing of the case until January 13.