The Islamabad High Court has issued a contempt notice to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and members of the federal cabinet for failing to submit a long-awaited report on Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s case.
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, while hearing a petition filed by Dr. Aafia’s sister, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, expressed frustration over the government’s inaction. He stated, “I am issuing a contempt of court notice to every member of the federal cabinet.”
The judge made it clear that the case will now be taken up on the first working day after court holidays.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, has been imprisoned in the United States for more than 14 years. She was sentenced in 2010 to 86 years in prison on charges of attempted murder and assault on US officials while in custody in Afghanistan. She is currently serving her sentence at a high-security prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
Earlier this year, Dr. Aafia had requested a presidential pardon, calling her sentence “a blatant miscarriage of justice.” However, then-US President Joe Biden rejected her clemency plea.
Justice Ishaq also voiced concerns over administrative interference in the judicial process, saying that changes in the judges’ roster were being used to influence proceedings. “I will not let justice be defeated. I will use my judicial powers to protect the dignity of this court,” he remarked before issuing the notice.
The case has once again brought the government’s handling of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s situation into sharp focus, raising questions about its commitment to pursuing her repatriation.
