The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has asked the federal government for more details on the planned prisoner exchange between Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and Dr. Shakeel Afridi. The court heard a request to restore Dr. Aafia to Pakistan from a US prison.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neurologist, was convicted of plotting to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in 2010. She has served 86 years in the US since then. Doctor Shakeel Afridi, a Pakistani scientist suspected of assisting the CIA in discovering Osama bin Laden in 2011, is still in prison for supporting a militant outfit. The US has repeatedly demanded Dr. Afridi’s release.
Aafia’s American lawyer, Clive Smith, suggested at the hearing that the US take custody of Dr. Afridi in exchange for her release to Pakistan. Smith believes this transaction could bring Aafia back.
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, the case’s judge, has urged the government to clarify its position on this transaction. He questioned if Pakistan’s prime minister’s letter to former US president Joe Biden had been answered.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson advised the court that the acting U.S. ambassador and the Ministry of Interior recently discussed this problem. Official concealed meeting ending details.
The International Human Rights Court urged the government to thoroughly address the lawyer’s suggestion and the case’s bigger issues. February 21 is the next hearing date.
