Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal on Tuesday said that Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is jailed in the United States (US) for over a decade, herself does not want to return to Pakistan.
Faisal said this during an interview with British newspaper The Independent’s Urdu wing. He said that the government of Pakistan was looking for prospects of Siddiqui’s return, but according to reports, she was not willing to return to the country.
He added that the only way Dr Aafia could possibly return to Pakistan was if Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump met. In that case, “the exchange of Aafia Siddiqui for Shakeel Afridi could come under discussion,” he added.
However, Dr Aafia’s sister has contested FO Spokesperson’s ‘claims’.
“If anyone says that Aafia Siddiqui does not want to return to Pakistan, it’s completed untrue,” Dr Fouzia told Independent Urdu, adding that “at one point it had seemed as if Aafia was going to come to Pakistan any moment.”
She also revealed that Aafia was ‘ready to sign any document’ to get out of jail and return to her country.
Last year, Dr Aafia’s sister, Dr Fouzia, had requested Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to take up the matter with the US.
On September 23, 2010, a court in New York had sentenced Dr Aafia, an MIT graduate, to 86 years in prison. According to US and Pakistani officials, she was arrested in Afghanistan. She is also accused of having worked with Al Qaeda.
Faisal said this during an interview with British newspaper The Independent’s Urdu wing. He said that the government of Pakistan was looking for prospects of Siddiqui’s return, but according to reports, she was not willing to return to the country.
He added that the only way Dr Aafia could possibly return to Pakistan was if Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump met. In that case, “the exchange of Aafia Siddiqui for Shakeel Afridi could come under discussion,” he added.
However, Dr Aafia’s sister has contested FO Spokesperson’s ‘claims’.
“If anyone says that Aafia Siddiqui does not want to return to Pakistan, it’s completed untrue,” Dr Fouzia told Independent Urdu, adding that “at one point it had seemed as if Aafia was going to come to Pakistan any moment.”
She also revealed that Aafia was ‘ready to sign any document’ to get out of jail and return to her country.
Last year, Dr Aafia’s sister, Dr Fouzia, had requested Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to take up the matter with the US.
On September 23, 2010, a court in New York had sentenced Dr Aafia, an MIT graduate, to 86 years in prison. According to US and Pakistani officials, she was arrested in Afghanistan. She is also accused of having worked with Al Qaeda.