The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed on Tuesday the federal authorities to render a counter-affidavit explaining what efforts were made to repatriate Dr Aafia Siddiqui in compliance with its order.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar had taken up an application filed by Dr Fouzia Siddiqui who pleaded the court to proceed against the federal authorities for disobeying its order that directed them to evaluate the ways and means for signing a bilateral agreement with US government for repatriation of her sister from the USA.
The applicant’s counsel, Rasheed A Razvi, submitted that in March 2003, Dr Aafia was on way to the airport with her children to depart for Islamabad when she was unlawfully abducted along with her children. However, her sister and children remained missing for five years but it was later claimed that she had been arrested by the Afghani National Police ANP from Afghanistan in July 2008 and was handed over to the US military. He stated Dr Aafia could be repatriated if Pakistan enters into bilateral agreement with the US as envisaged in Transfer of Offenders Ordinance 2002.
Moreover, he added that there was also possibility of her repatriation by the way of Inter-American Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad.
He told the judges that while hearing his client’s petition, the court had directed concerned authorities to explore possibility of a bilateral agreement and endeavour to materialise the same within reasonable time. But, he lamented, despite lapse of more than 19 months time, no effort was made to repatriate her which was clear violation of the court order.
