The federal government has dismissed the proposal to exchange Pakistani neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui for Shakeel Afridi, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was informed on Friday.
Judge Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan presided over a petition seeking Dr. Siddiqui’s release from a US prison. Dr. Siddiqui is serving an 86-year sentence in the US, following her 2010 conviction by a federal court in New York on charges of attempted murder and other offenses.
During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Manzoor Iqbal Dogar argued that the proposed exchange of Afridi for Siddiqui was not viable.
This proposal was initially put forward by Dr. Siddiqui’s counsel, Clive Smith, as part of efforts to secure her release. Dogar also raised concerns about issues in a draft petition filed in a US court regarding Dr. Siddiqui’s case. Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan expressed surprise at the government’s position, which seemed to withdraw support for Siddiqui’s petition for release in the US court.
The IHC instructed the law officer to consult with the government and respond to any objections raised by the next Friday’s hearing. Dogar further noted that both Afridi and Siddiqui are Pakistani nationals and emphasized that Pakistan has no agreement with the US on prisoner exchanges.
During the hearing, Justice Sardar Ijaz inquired about Afridi’s importance to the US and requested an update on his case. Court assistant Zainab Janjua informed the court that Afridi is convicted, with his appeal still pending in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
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Dr. Aafia’s sister, Fouzia Siddiqui, represented by lawyer Imran Shafiq, reiterated that Afridi was accused of espionage and aiding foreign entities. The Additional Attorney General also noted that a response regarding Dr. Aafia’s case had been submitted on February 19. He added that while US President Joe Biden had dismissed the request, the White House did not formally acknowledge Pakistan’s communication.
