Pakistan seeks presidential pardon for terrorist languishing in US jail

Islamabad, Oct 19 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the US President Joe Biden to release Aafia Siddiqui, currently serving an 86-year prison sentence in the United States on terrorism charges.

Sharif's letter to Biden, dated October 13, was submitted before a court in Islamabad in a case filed by Aafia's sister, Fawzia Siddiqui, who is seeking support and help from the government of Pakistan for the release of her incarcerated sister.

In the letter, Sharif called on the Biden administration to review Aafia Siddiqui's case with compassion, accept the clemency petition and order her release on humanitarian grounds.

Additional Attorney General Mansoor Iqbal Dogal informed the court that the letter sought a presidential pardon for Aafia Siddiqui.

Sharif's letter highlighted that, over the years, numerous Pakistani officials have paid consular visits to Aafia, raising serious concerns about the treatment she has been receiving and the severe impact that it has had on her mental and physical health.

"Aafia Siddiqui's family, and millions of my fellow citizens, join me in seeking your blessings for a favourable outcome of this request," the Pakistan PM wrote in his letter to Joe Biden.

It is to be recalled that Aafia Siddiqui was declared a terror suspect after she left the United States and married the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the deadly 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and Shanksville in the United States in 2001.

As per reports, Aafia was found in Afghanistan after being wounded during a confrontation with the US authorities in 2008 with eyewitnesses stating that she had shot at the Americans.

Since then, she has remained in the US custody and has been charged with 86-year imprisonment.

Her sister claims that the charges framed against Aafia were never proven and were based on "false and concocted" stories.

On Saturday, Fawzia, a noted neuro-physician, welcomed the Pakistan government's latest initiative to seek release of her sister from the US jail.

"The whole nation is behind the government because it is showing seriousness to safeguard the rights of its citizens. This is the first step and the government now needs to build momentum. A delegation should also be sent to the US for this purpose. Pakistan citizens should write letters to the US president for release of Aafia on clemency and human rights grounds," Fawzia told IANS.

"My sister was always innocent. Yet, she is being tortured, abused, harassed, assaulted, raped and mistreated in the US jails for years," she added.