Latest news with #AafiaSiddiqui
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Aafia remarks 'taken out of context', says Dar
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has clarified that his recent remarks about Dr Aafia Siddiqui's case, made in response to a question regarding ex-prime minister Imran Khan's legal situation at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, were being taken out of context. In a statement posted on X, Dar said: "Yesterday, in response to a question about Imran Khan's case at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, the reference to Dr Aafia Siddiqui's case is being taken out of context." "During the tenures of PML-N governments, we have consistently provided all diplomatic and legal assistance for Dr Aafia Siddiqui's release, and we will continue to do so until the matter of her release is resolved." Stressing the importance of respecting judicial systems, he explained that every country had its judicial and legal procedures, "which are to be respected, whether it is Pakistan or the US". "Our government's stance on the issue of Dr Aafia Siddiqui's release is clear and unequivocal," the foreign minister maintained. Currently on an official visit to the United States, FM Dar had addressed the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, DC. While responding to a question regarding former prime minister Imran Khan's imprisonment, Dar had referred to Dr Siddiqui to underscore the principle of respecting judicial processes. He said that Pakistan had not interfered in Dr Siddiqui's case because "the Americans had followed their judicial system". Similarly, he added, Imran Khan had been sentenced by Pakistan's judiciary after due legal process. "When the due process is followed, others do not have the right to interfere," he said. The remarks were sharply criticised by Dr Siddiqui's legal team, with her lawyer calling the comparison "idiotic".
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PM extends legal, diplomatic support to Dr Aafia
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reiterated his government's commitment to extending all possible legal and diplomatic support to Dr Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist currently serving an 86-year prison sentence in the United States. The assurance was conveyed during a meeting with Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, sister of the incarcerated academic. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Sharif affirmed that the government was actively pursuing the matter and had 'not been negligent in any way' regarding Dr Siddiqui's case. He further said that a special committee, headed by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, had been constituted to coordinate efforts in the case. The committee will remain in contact with Dr Fauzia Siddiqui and extend the necessary legal and procedural support. Dr Aafia Siddiqui was arrested in Afghanistan in July 2008, allegedly in possession of sodium cyanide and documents related to large-scale attacks. According to US prosecutors, she attempted to shoot American personnel during interrogation – an incident that led to her conviction in a New York federal court in 2010 on charges of attempted murder and assault. No terrorism-related charges were filed. Her family, however, maintains that she was abducted from Karachi in 2003 along with her children and later handed over to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a claim denied by Pakistani authorities. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Dr Aafia case: IHC issues contempt notice to PM, cabinet
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued contempt notices to the prime minister and the federal cabinet in a petition filed by Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, seeking the repatriation, health status, and release of her sister, Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is imprisoned in the United States of America. A single bench of Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, on Monday, hearing Siddiqui's petition, issued the notices against the prime minister and members of the federal cabinet over the government's failure to submit a report in the Dr Aafia Siddiqui case. Justice Ejaz expressed strong displeasure over the government for not submitting the required report about why the government was refusing to sign an amicus brief on Aafia case. He noted in his written order, 'The government has not reverted with the reasons despite being directed to do so, it is in contempt, leaving me with no option but to issue a notice of contempt to the Federal Government.' The IHC office is directed to initiate a contempt petition accordingly, in which all the members of the federal government will be respondents. The replies of all the Ministers, including the Prime Minister, shall be filed within two weeks from today (July 21). Justice Ejaz stated that ever since the demolition squad was catapulted into this High Court after the 26th Constitutional Amendment, they have seen one heresy after another hurled at the edifice of justice, maiming it repeatedly, and bringing it almost to its last breaths. 'This is yet another instance. The heresy I speak of now is besieging the dispensation of Justice by a Judge of the High Court by the device of the 'weekly roster' controlled by the office of the Chief Justice. It is both heart-rending and amusing at the same time, a blend of paradox that this High Court has become,' said the judge. Justice Ejaz mentioned that he had passed the previous order giving the government time to revert with its decision, while cautioning the Additional Advocate General that inaction would leave him no choice but to proceed in contempt. The government filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against his earlier decision permitting amendments to the petition for continuation of this case. He stated that for whatever reason, the government's case had not been taken up by the Supreme Court. The machinations of the executive appeared elsewhere, in the form of controlling the proceedings of this Court through its roster. 'The legal historians would write that now, even if he wishes to by reason of imperatives of urgent justice, a judge is now not allowed to hold Court by the High Court establishment when he is on leave,' added the judge. He pointed out that his leave was meant to start today and the roster of judges sitting for this week therefore did not include his name. 'The leave schedule was announced much earlier to the date on which I had ordered to list this case today, given its importance and the need for swift dispensation of justice in this and the other eases that ordered for listing today.' The judge also said that on Thursday or perhaps Friday, he was informed through his PS by the Office that the cause list will not be issued unless the roster of the sitting judges for this week was amended with the leave of the Chief Justice. That seemed to me a trivial matter and he asked his PS to move an application accordingly. He further said that he was informed on Saturday that the application was duly moved but the file remained on the table of the Chief Justice, who did not find even 30 seconds to sign it. He maintained, 'Whether that was by design or oversight, I cannot say for sure, but given the manner in which the roster of judges has been used as a tool for the desired outcome in specific cases, and given the government's stiff opposition to do what is right and to stand by the daughter of the nation at the critical juncture of the Motion before a US Court, I may be forgiven for thinking that it was the former. The correct legal position is that the Office cannot use the shoulder of the Chief Justice in the exercise of administrative powers to obstruct judicial proceedings ordered by a Judge in an ongoing case.' Justice Ejaz stated that the motivation of a Judge to hold Court on a day on which he is 'officially' on leave would spell out whether the reason to hold Court was any ulterior motive or the dispensation of justice. 'I trust that all right thinking men and women would agree with me that today my decision to hold Court was solely and exclusively for the purposes of dispensation of justice. Gone are the days when a Judge could pass an order even while playing Golf or dining with his family if the exigency so required. The ceremony of robes and a Courtroom – or the menial triviality of a cause list as in this case – were never the indispensable prerequisites for him to carry out judicial business. He said this is yet another instance of the reproachable use of the administrative power to shackle the exercise of independent judicial authority, with the likely motivation to pend (until my leave ends) the government's response with reasons as to why it would not sign the amicus brief. However, the imperatives of justice shall not be defeated by such petty means. 'To the extent I can, I will exercise my judicial authority to the end of upholding the dignity of the High Court and the justice it dispenses.' Later, the bench deferred hearing of the case until September 1. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
IHC startscontempt case against PM, cabinet
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has initiated contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his entire cabinet for disregarding its order to provide reasons for not assisting a US court hearing the case of incarcerated neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui. "As the government has not reverted with the reasons despite being directed to do so, it is in contempt, leaving me with no option but to issue a notice of contempt to the Federal Government. "Office is directed to initiate a contempt petition accordingly, in which all the members of the Federal Government will be respondents. The replies of all the ministers, including the prime minister, shall be filed within two weeks from today," said a three-page order authored by Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan. The judge noted that in his last order he had given the government time to revert with its decision, while cautioning the state law officer that inaction would result in contempt proceedings. The federal government on July 15 approached the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the May 16, 2025, order of the IHC that allowed amendments to a previously settled petition concerning Dr Aafia Siddiqui - nearly a decade after its filing. The SC, however, has not yet listed the petition for hearing. Justice Ejaz Ishaq Khan was to go on summer vacation from Monday (July 21). However, he had announced at the last hearing that he would hear the case on July 21. Interestingly, the IHC did not list the case for hearing before his bench. The judge, nevertheless, heard the case on Monday and later issued a blistering order, criticizing IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and the entire "demolition squad catapulted into" the IHC after the 26th amendment. Justice Khan noted that the leave schedule was announced much earlier to the date on which he had ordered to list this case today, given its importance and the need for swift dispensation of justice "On Thursday or perhaps Friday, I was informed through my PS [personal secretary] by the office that the cause list will not be issued unless the roster of the sitting judges for this week was amended with the leave of the chief justice. "That seemed to me a trivial matter and I asked my PS to move an application accordingly. I was informed on Saturday that the application was duly moved but the file remained on the table of the Chief Justice, who did not find even 30 seconds to sign it. "Whether that was by design or oversight, I cannot say for sure, but given the manner in which the roster of judges has been used as a tool for the desired outcome in specific cases, and given the government's stiff opposition to do what is right and to stand by the daughter of the nation at the critical juncture of the motion before a US Court, I may be forgiven for thinking that it was the former." He said the government filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against his earlier decision permitting amendments to the petition for continuation of this case but the SC did not take up the case. "[So] the machinations of the executive appeared elsewhere, in the form of controlling the proceedings of this court through its roster. "The legal historians would write that now, even if he wishes to by reason of imperatives of urgent justice, a judge is now not allowed to hold court by the high court establishment when he is on leave." He stated that the correct legal position is that the office cannot use the shoulder of the CJ in the exercise of administrative powers to obstruct judicial proceedings ordered by a judge. He said the motivation of a judge to hold court on a day on which he is officially' on leave would spell out whether the reason to hold court was any ulterior motive or the dispensation of justice. "I trust that all right thinking men and women would agree with me that today my decision to hold court was solely and exclusively for the purposes of dispensation of justice. He said gone were the days when a judge could pass an order even while playing golf or dining with his family, if the exigency so required. The ceremony of robes and a courtroom – or the menial triviality of a cause list as in this case were never the indispensable prerequisites for him to carry out judicial business. "This is yet another instance of the reproachable use of the administrative power to shackle the exercise of independent judicial authority, with the likely motivation to pend (until my leave ends) the government's response with reasons as to why it would not sign the amicus brief. "However, the imperatives of justice shall not be defeated by such petty means. To the extent I can, I will exercise my judicial authority to the end of upholding the dignity of the High Court and the justice it dispenses," he added. The bench will resume hearing the case on September 1.
Business Recorder
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
IHC asks Pakistan govt to submit reasons for not becoming party to Dr Aafia's case
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) asked the federal government to submit the reasons for not becoming a party or provide legal assistance in Dr Aafia Siddiqui's case in a US court. A single bench of Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan on Monday heard the constitutional petition of Dr Fowzia Siddiqui regarding the release of her sister Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently imprisoned in a US jail. The petitioner's lawyer Imran Shafiq, additional attorney general, and other officials were present in the court. At the outset of the hearing, the additional attorney general apprised the IHC that the government had decided not to become a party in the Dr Aafia case in the United States. At this, the judge questioned the reason behind the decision saying that on what grounds was this decision made? To this, the additional attorney general, however, failed to give a response, saying the government has so far taken this decision. Justice Ishaq remarked that this is a constitutional court and decisions must be accompanied by reasons. He added that a government or the attorney general cannot simply submit a stance without justification. He made it clear that this is a constitutional court, and decisions without justification are not acceptable here. The IHC ordered the additional attorney general to provide rationale for the decision on the next hearing. Later, the bench deferred hearing of the case till July 4. The bench on May 16, 25 had observed that the Aafia case has already become a movement and it is a long struggle. Justice Ishaq added that the problem could not be resolved by just ending this case. The court further observed that the government has taken all the steps regarding Dr Aafia only because of this case. The judge said the US visa was granted to Dr Fowzia Siddiqui because of the directions of this court, and also the prime minister wrote a letter for Dr Aafia. He continued that due to the instructions of this court a meeting took place between Dr Aafia Siddiqui and Dr Fowzia Siddiqui and a Pakistani delegation also visited the US and met Dr Aafia Siddiqui. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
