ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif penned a letter to the U.S. President requesting a presidential pardon for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently serving an 86-year sentence in the United States.
The Additional Attorney General, Manoor Iqbal Dogal, informed the Islamabad High Court during a hearing today.
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan heard the plea filed by Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, the sister of Aafia Siddiqui, requesting the government’s efforts for Dr. Aafia’s release and safe return to Pakistan.
Advocate Imran Shafiq appeared in court on behalf of Fauzia Siddiqui, emphasizing the urgency of the matter and expressing hopes that the letter would pave the way for her repatriation.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, was convicted in the United States in 2010 for attempted murder and assault on U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. She was arrested from Ghazni in Afghanistan in 2008 and was accused of attempting to shoot American soldiers during an interrogation session.
Aafia Siddiqui is currently serving her sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Carswell, Texas, where her health remains a concern.
