Islamabad High Court Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan heard the petition filed by Dr. Fozia Siddiqui, seeking the release and repatriation of her sister, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. The petitioner’s lawyer, Imran Shafiq, and former Senator Mushtaq appeared in court, along with the Additional Attorney General and a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Fozia Siddiqui appeared via video link.
The court reviewed a declaration presented by Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s U.S. lawyer, Mr. Clive Smith, and appreciated the declaration. The court instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide a detailed report on Mr. Smith’s declaration and directed that the matter be handled at the diplomatic level.
The court remarked that while the U.S. is a sovereign country and may reject Dr. Fozia Siddiqui’s visa or even the Prime Minister’s visa, such matters must be addressed diplomatically. Dr. Fozia Siddiqui argued that when the head of one country writes a letter to the head of another country, a response is mandatory.
A representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the court that no response had been received from U.S. President Joe Biden regarding the letter written by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The Pakistani mission in the U.S. had arranged for a delegation to meet Dr. Aafia, but the delegation arrived late. The court asked the Additional Attorney General about the delay and questioned why the Pakistani ambassador was not involved in the meeting with the Biden administration.
Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan emphasized that such matters should always be handled by the ambassador, and the response to a letter from the head of state should not be ignored. The court also inquired about the details of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s visits to the U.S.
The Additional Attorney General requested the court to withdraw the order regarding the details of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s visits. The court adjourned the hearing of the case until January 13.
