Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has requested US President Joe Biden to pardon and release jailed Pakistani Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who was awarded an 86-year sentence for allegedly attacking US personnel in Afghanistan, it emerged.

In letter, he expressed his concerns about Dr Siddiqui’s “Fragile mental and frail physical health” while in prison. “Now 52 years old, she has served 16 years behind bars in US.

“Numerous Pakistani officials have paid consular visits to Dr Siddiqui, all of them have raised their serious concerns about treatment she has received,” letter reads. “In fact, they fear she may take her own life.”

He wrote that it was his “Solemn duty” to ensure wellbeing of his citizens, appealing to Biden to fulfil same role as head of state. “I am well aware of how passionately you have fought for rights of your citizens, particularly those stranded or held captive abroad,” He wrote.

“You would, therefore, fully understand that as Prime Minister, it is my solemn duty to intervene when it becomes absolutely necessary to ensure citizen’s wellbeing, particularly when circumstances are as dire as they are in this case.”

On Friday, Dr Siddiqui’s lawyer Imran Shafiq announced that court granted their demands for formal request to release doctor. “PM has requested that US release Dr Siddiqui on humanitarian grounds,” he told reporters outside the Islamabad High Court

“Court ordered that high-level delegation needs to go to US, as clemency petition alone is not enough to secure Dr Siddiqui’s release,” Shafiq stated.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 19 2024

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