Dr Aafia Siddiqui was convicted in a US court on terror charges. PHOTO: FILE
Recommendations presented by a task force for Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s extradition from US have been sent to the prime minister’s office for final approval.
A high official at premier’s office told The Express Tribune on Friday that “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was eager to go through the recommendations to initiate the process for Aafia’s extradition,” adding that he will discuss the recommendations in a cabinet meeting for the final approval after he returns from Jeddah.
Sources privy to the matter confirmed that there was a possibility that the premier might hold a telephonic conversation with President Obama over the matter. Sources claimed that after the prime minister’s approval, a letter would be written to US requesting Aafia’s extradition before Eid.
An official at the foreign office said “this should not be taken as an easy procedure since we don’t have a bilateral treaty with US regarding prisoner exchange. However, entering into any of the two existing multilateral treaties would also take four to five months for the extradition”.
The official said once Nawaz Sharif approves the recommendations the foreign office will initiate the process of signing treaties with the US.
“But this doesn’t mean that Aafia’s extradition would then be at an arm’s length. We would then have to seek... only after the US gives its nod would we kick off the standard procedure,” he added.
The recommendations were forwarded to the PM after the interior ministry and foreign office gave clearance.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2013.
COMMENTS (27)
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@Mirza: I think that PML-N and PTI have promised TTP that they would get Afia released in return for their support in the elections. They are now afraid that TTP will come after them.
@S28: Every criminal is a son, daughter, mother, father, sister, or brother of someone. Does this mean that if he/she was sleeping with terrorists like shiekh muhammad, there shouldn't be any consequences, for his/her crimes? Besides, we are indeed happy not to be related to criminals and fanatics like her.
@unbelievable: You would quote Wikipedia as a source, boy?
By the way this extradition treaty will be at the cost of Pak handing over Dr Shakeel Afridi to US which is not at all acceptable. Dr Aafia was a US citizen and she chose her own way, we have all our sympathies with her but she was caught in Afghanistan not in Pakistan and nevertheless she is a US citizen. So, the govt should work intelligently before signing any extradition treaty with US.
@Aysha M: First, she is not going nowhere, PML-N its interior, foreign and PM can all try as hard and waste our resources as much as they like. There won't be any such tragedy taking place at all. Americans are no dodos when they are convinced about someone's crimes who has been convicted especially for terrorism. They can't like no sensible State should let a convicted terrorist off the hook simply because there are politically motivated campaigning and a strong religio-fundamentalist-extremist alliance is at work in doing propaganda, which is clearly the case here. PML-N government must beware of the fact that this a harmful way to gain politically popularity or even a perceived acceptance in Karachi. Karachi and its people have nothing to do with this or any such terrorists and do not wish Karachi to become assylum for any terrrorist whether local or international. Please, spare us this punishment, we are and have been target of riddicule as it is and do not wish to be associated, by force, with Aafia or any of her kind. She is an American and should live there as American laws find it fit for her.
They are missing their big terrorist girl...where is this country headed to.
@Kaleem, Fareeha, Hedgefunder, Kay. Aafia is a Pakistani citizen - not a US citizen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aafia_Siddiqui.
To my knowledge Obama has refused to meet or talk with any representative from Pakistan since the NATO supply line was closed. Chances of him taking a phone call from PM are slim - chances of him taking a phone call from PM to discuss Aafia are zero.
Its not a waste. She is a daughter, mother and a sister of someone. Fear Allah. And thank Allah its not your owm mother, sister or daughter. @Fareeha:
a purely political ploy. There are 25 Pakistani women prisoners in Saudi Arabian jails --- is this government going to make efforts for their repatriation?
How can Pakistan extradite a US national?? I am confused!
In your dreams ! As if Uncle Sam is even going to consider this option. Why is Pakistan so keen on this one convicted foreign citizen ? Don't they have enough other issues to deal with ! It really shows as to how ridiculous and stupid this Nation is !
@Aysha M: Thats DI khan, not DJ khan...........
US will definitely give a nod to take back Aafia Siddiqui in exchange of Dr. Shakeel Afridi.
First US will send Aafia Siddiqui to Pakistan and then Pakistan will dispatch Dr. Shakeel Afridi to US.
But PML(N) Government will not get any credit on this issue of Aafia Siddiqui on getting her back home, if Government of Pakistan will send Dr. Shakeel Afridi to US, who is involved in providing assistance to US Government to identify Osama Bin Ladin in Abbottabad and presently under detention in Pakistan.
What a waste of resources. She is an American citizen. Let her stay in US.
This nation welcomes the homecoming of Dr Afaia , provided it is not at the cost of Dr Afridi handover to US. Knowing American diplomacy this may very well be on the card.
When hundreds of innocents are being murdered within the country on daily basis then why does government need to spend precious resources on this ??? Why not channel the resources to save lives of those hundreds, resolve basic issues and then start approaching overseas convicts. Anyway , if she is in Pakistan as part of prisoner exchange then government would need to spend huge amounts on jail security and we know the level and aptitude of it.
Please make an honest effort and make it happen.
Thank God. Have mercy on her.
While we do not have bilateral treaty with US regarding prisoner exchange, all Pakistani governments has been transferring several prisoners to US from here regularly !
When John Kerry was here they couldn't take up the issue with him because according to them "there was no treaty for exchange of prisoners between the two countries" so to think Nawaz Sharif would take it up with Obama is a cruel joke at best. Moreover, if Raymond Davis could get away with public shooting of our citizens, why can't Afia be brought back when there are serious doubts about her crime? So it's all for public consumption like wikileaks had revealed
Another jail break in the offing. If this person is brought to Pakistan, it would spell nothing but trouble. She would definitely be released in an action packed thriller like the one we saw last week in DJ Khan
There is no action against the terrorists who are killing tens of thousands of innocent Pakistanis who have voted (most of them) for this govt. However, they are taking a prompt action of emergency footing on one suspicious person married to Khalid Sheik's nephew. TTP had endorsed and supported the two rightwing parties in the elections and it is the payback time to global jihadists. Our love for convicted terrorists knows no bounds. The biggest problem of Pakistan is one woman and nothing else.
Though i have no specific interest in release of Dr. Aafia (She was a US national which she opted herself and got the punishment accordingly), it would be a political milestone achievement for NS government. If that has to be done at the cost of signing treaties for exchange of prisoners, I am afraid it may cause more upset in future.