Dr Aafia was sentenced to 86 years in prison without conviction
News Time
The first thought that comes to mind with the mention of imprisonment is that of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in the US imprisonment. This period of imprisonment is not a life-long, 17-year long journey from March 30, 2003 to 2020, of a poorly ill prisoner dying alive. Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is the signal on every major turning point in the national scenario. Whether the recent US-Taliban peace deal or the current outbreak of Corona killings, Aafia is again a topic of debate. Remember, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is a highly educated Pakistani citizen from the United States. His dream was to make a positive change in the world through education. The tragic events that accompany them have hindered interpretation. He was kidnapped from Karachi and disappeared on March 30, 2003 during the regime of Pervez Musharraf. In October 2008, British nominee journalist Yvonne Ridley revealed to the international media that Dr. Aafia, a prisoner No 650 at the US-based Bagram Airbus prison in Afghanistan, was revealed. He was accompanied by PTI chief Imran Khan. Yvonne Ridley also appealed to Aafia to release her with the revealing of the shameful and heartbreaking atrocities of US troops.
Dr. Aafia was transferred from Afghanistan to the United States in 2009 on the charge of assaulting and killing American prisoners. The so-called attempt to murder was sentenced to 86 years in prison without conviction in court. Dr Aafia was called a political prisoner. In this regard, his case should have been dealt with politically. Other PPP and PML-Q governments have been coming in, but there is no mention of Dr. Aafia’s practical efforts during a government period. Dr Aafia’s daughter was told by everyone, that she had promised release. But these promises and assertions did not take the form of legal and practical scrutiny from the language and media screens. Pakistan’s National Assembly on August 21, 2008 approved the first resolution to release Dr Aafia. At that time King Mahmood Qureshi was Foreign Minister. Senate approves resolution November 15, 2018 to release Aafia. Then there was Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Shah was also present on the occasion of the recent Doha peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban and was giving credit of the agreement to Imran Khan. It is Imran Khan who first raised his voice for Aafia in 2008. Aafia’s release in 2018 was part of his election manifesto, and promised to return Dr Aafia Siddiqui. He is the Prime Minister of Pakistan today.
The scenario has changed in the face of the Doha peace agreement with the Taliban lobby. The Taliban have already counted Aafia among their prisoners and have spoken of their release. Why can’t Pakistan and its top officials reach out to the Taliban in connection with the Aafia case, as much as they can in the Doha Agreement? In the past, Pakistani expert Dawood Ghaznavi has also mentioned the legal tips and tricks for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s release in his book Aafia unheard. One way was told that (due to constant torture) the mental balance and nature of Aafia Siddiqui was not good and they could be brought back to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds. This is a purely lawful way. In this situation, Pakistan can demand the release of Aafia Siddiqui without any bargaining.
The latest case scenario is the Coronavirus. In view of this concern, hostile countries such as Iran and the United States have also urged each other’s countries to protect and release their prisoners. According to CNN, Corona has spread to US prisons. The safety and security situation is very troubling. Many deaths are expected. Conditional release of prisoners has begun in Pakistan too. Attempting to repatriate Dr. Aafia and other oppressed prisoners at such a national level would be a major diplomatic success of the government. There could never have been a better situation for Dr. Aafia’s release. Both the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister have been eyewitnesses to the Aafia case from the very beginning. And Imran Khan owes his promise of release too!
Before Imran Khan became prime minister, Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s imprisonment in foreign capitals is a shame for the rulers of the time. If we cannot release Aafia, it will be a matter of great disappointment. Imran Khan Sir! Today is the time you have ruled, you have the power. When will the shame of national pride come to an end? Perhaps your feat can save the country and the nation from the Corona epidemic of despair!
