'No steps without consent of Dr Aafia's family'

Rehman Malik said a representative of the Law Ministry will be posted in Washington.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday said that the proposed convention on the transfer of sentenced persons will only be signed with the consent of Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s family.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, Malik said that the US is ready for dialogue on Dr Aafia’s return once the convention is signed. However, he said that Dr Aafia’s sister, Dr Fauzia, has told the government to not sign the convention until US legal experts have met with legal experts here and the treaty has been properly reviewed.

Earlier, Malik had written a letter to the US Attorney General seeking Dr Aafia’s repatriation.

The interior minister also mentioned that Pakistan and the US already have an extradition treaty. He cleared that the proposed convention is different from the extradition treaty and requested that people do not confuse one with the other.

Malik added that the government has also written a letter to the US regarding Dr Aafia’s health, along with a request to not send her to a federal prison and to let her talk to her family on the telephone.

He said that a representative of the Ministry of Law will also be posted in the Pakistan embassy in Washington to handle the matter so that legal procedures can move effectively.