The sister of Dr Aafia Siddiqui has appealed to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for compassionate intervention for her release.
Sending separate letters to the prime minister and the field marshal, Dr Fowzia said that Pakistan’s leadership demonstrated statesmanship on an international and diplomatic scale.
She said Pakistan’s efforts, particularly in relation to easing tensions in the Middle East, offer hope that foundations for resolving longstanding conflicts are being laid. She said that these developments, along with other diplomatic engagements, have also strengthened Pakistan’s standing with US President Donald Trump.
She expressed hope that these positive relations will contribute to lasting peace for suffering populations worldwide. She said that it appears that this moment presents a critical opportunity to address the plight of Dr Aafia Siddiqui who continues to endure severe hardship.
Dr Fowzia said that it is a perfect moment to resolve Aafia’s situation – her challenge to her conviction and her motion for compassionate release are both now filed with the judge in New York, and yet since the US government is concerned that the pleadings reveal classified evidence, they are not yet public.
She said President Trump does not necessarily need to pardon her or grant clemency but merely needs to let the US attorney know that the US does not oppose her compassionate release.
She said that it can all be done with the minimum of fuss, with the rest of the embarrassing material in her appeal then withdrawn.
