Pakistan

Pakistan Consul General in Texas visits Dr Aafia

Pakistan Embassy in Washington coordinating for consular access to Dr Aafia.

April 16, 2011

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Consul General in Houston visited Dr Aafia Siddiqui at the Carswell detention facility in Texas, on Friday.

Consul General Aqil Nadeem was visiting Siddiqui on the instructions of Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani.

In the meeting, which lasted for two hours, Siddiqui informed the consul general that she was in good health and was pleased to have spoken with her mother and children over the phone.

Embassy officials said that Siddiqui will also be meeting her brother after she requested it. The consul general informed Siddiqui that the Pakistan embassy in Washington had coordinated for consular access for her through the concerned authorities.

She asked Nadeem to convey her thanks to Ambassador Haqqani for his concern for her welfare, the official said.

Siddiqui was sentenced on seven counts in a federal court in Manhattan on September 23, 2010, and is serving an 86-year sentence.

COMMENTS (30)

Andrew | 13 years ago | Reply @ Anoop. Pakistan purchased three American lawyers for $2,000,000. This is why Aafia rejected them. They were working for Pakistan and not for her. Extradition is the process that one country uses to get a second country to return a citizen who has fled to avoid criminal prosecution. Pakistan is not attempting to extradite Aafia because she is not charged with any criminal activity in Pakistan. The Pakistani government has been claiming since 2008 that they have repeatedly brought the issue of Aafia Siddiqui up with the American government, and that the Americans have refused all of their requests. I do not know that Dawn and the Daily Times have ever made a definitive statement on the issue, but I can counter with the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, ABC, and the prosecutors in New York City, who have done the research. Aafia is not an American citizen, and every shred of evidence points to her being a citizen of Pakistan.

Anoop | 13 years ago | Reply @Andrew, I am only quoting from Newspapers like Dawn and Dailytimes. Obviously I dont care about her that I would care to investigate. I will believe such respective newspapers than you for now. Also, if she is a Pakistani Citizen why is Pakistani Government not asking for extradition? Why didn't they provide her Pakistani Lawyers? Pakistani Government could have raised this issue with the President, like USA took up Davis's issue or Daniel Pearl's issue. Pakistani Government did none of this, which points to that "Dr." Aafia S was NOT a Pakistani Citizen.

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Andrew | 13 years ago | Reply There are a number of misconceptions here that need to be addressed. @ Cautious. Aafia did not ignore her lawyers because they were infidels. One was working for the American government and the other three were working for the Pakistani government. Aafia has no reason to trust any of those institutions or individuals. She was not shredded on the witness stand. In fact it was the opposite. The judge had to grant a brief pause during cross examination so the lady prosecutor could regain her composure. I was there. I saw this. It is part of the court record. @ Peace on Earth. The only evidence you can cite that connects her to terrorism is a kind word from a Taliban official? Aafia has become a national symbol of everything that is wrong with the relationship between the United States and Pakistan. Nearly everybody who wasn't involved in her kidnapping supports her. The Taliban guy was just trying to get himself mentioned in the news. @ Raj. Her arrest and conviction do benefit the United States. It keeps the conversation away from the fact that representatives of the US government kidnapped and tortured a woman who knew nothing about terrorism. It keeps the conversation away from the fact that her two American born children, after many years of captivity, were returned to her family speaking English with American accents. This would indicate that they were held by Americans. In the United States, kidnapping American children carries significant criminal penalties. And speaking of the children. One of the reasons Aafia was evaluated for mental competency was her repeated claims about seeing her daughter in her New York City jail cell. Maryam was moved around quite a lot during her seven years of captivity. Makes you wonder if Aafia really was having hallucinations. @ Khurram. United States law, in accordance with international treaties, allows foreign nationals held as prisoners in American custody access to representatives of their governments, usually through their consulate officials. This is a normal part of the job at a consulate. As for the fair trial, hers was just as fair as the one Raymond Davis would have gotten if he had remained in Pakistan. @ Anoop. @ Hedgefunder. Aafia is not a US citizen. Naturalization records are public. Look it up and tell me on what date she was given American citizenship. Or you can ask her ex-husband how he married an American citizen without getting US citizenship of his own, or at least a green card.

Peace On Earth | 13 years ago | Reply @ Ali: The reason I mentioned corruption of the Houston Consular office is to highlight the fact that by allowing them to speak with Dr. Afia is disgraceful. They are both criminals to the highest degree. Also, for those who are so enamored with Dr. Aia, if you lost a loved one to a terrorist attack you wouldn't be so quick to support a criminal like her.

Hedgefunder | 13 years ago | Reply ET, is this really a newsworthy item!! A criminal who is a foreign citizen, rotting in foreign prison!!!! Why are Pak consulate so interested in visitng her!!????

Altaf Shakoor | 13 years ago | Reply Raymond - killed 3 in broad day-light - and was released within days. On the other hand innocent Aafia - away from her kids and mother and siblings, is in prison since last 9 years - was many times tortured and what not. She was not given the right to engage her own lawyer/s. She is even not allowed to contact her family members and councillor. The last date of filing appeal was April 15 - 2011. No appeal was filed within the given period. 2 months extension period was granted. But the Pakistani govt appointed lawyers didn't do any thing withing this period also. Then again they requested the court to extend the appeal filing date, but this time the court rejected their request and only gave a grace peiod of 15 days only for filing only important points and not full appeal. This is all being done in a country which claims to be champions of human rights and democracy. Shame.

Anoop | 13 years ago | Reply @Ali, You misinformed fellow. She is NOT a Pakistani National. She opted not to become a Pak National the second she got the US Citizenship. That is the reason Pakistani Government didnt ask for her to be shifted to Pakistan to even serve the remainder of the sentence in Pakistan. That is the reason Pakistan didn't ask for her deportation. How can you deport an American to Pakistani soil? Your Urdu Media is misleading you.

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply @Peace On Earth: What alleged corruption has to do anything with providing consular access to a Pakistani national?

pragmatist | 13 years ago | Reply @Raj: "Physics"?? She has a doctorate in Education !! Doubt if she can spell "physics". She has a doctorate in humanities. The nutcase Zaid Hamid in an interview alongside Aafia's sister made a similar claim that she was involved in bio-engineering. The sister clarified to a red-faced Zaid that she had nothing to do with science. :-)

Cherish Raj | 13 years ago | Reply The Pakistani consulate all over the world has good relations with such dangerous people with shady backgrounds.

Khurram | 13 years ago | Reply I would expect better things from our consulate officials than wasting time and money on visits to convicted persons. Aafia Siddique is a lost cause I do not think there is anything to gain except some political mileage for the politicians for stirring this thing over and over again. She has been given a fair trail and offered every chance to prove her innocence of the charges. All the evidence produced against her was substantiated without prejudice and her defence utterly failed to produce anything to prove her innocence of the crimes she was charged with. How many girls are rotting in our own jails? Does anybody ever care for them? NO, they are our daughters and sisters too, a degree from MIT, Harvard, Cambridge or for that matter from Timbktu does not make her in any way better than them. She did the crime let her do the time. There are many things which may appear unfair sometimes our own life owing to our imprefections appears unfair to us especially when we have made a big mess of it. That is what Aafia did she had everything going for her but somewhere at some juncture she mixed up her priorities thus failed herself, her family and the country that afforded her all the opportunties to realize her full potential. I have no sympathy for such people even if they are my own syblings.

Mulla Toofhan | 13 years ago | Reply Visited by high official of the Pakistan Govt. official and declaring Afia as Daughter of the Nation, Providing safe haven to Al-Qaida, Calling terrorist strategic assets, Pakistan Govt. is acknowledging that it is a terrorist tolerant Country. No wonder the Americans will not stop the Drone attacks.

Cautious | 13 years ago | Reply The real shame is that this hateful person took one of the 100 international slots dedicated to international students at MIT - they get over 3,000 international applicants for competing for this honor ----- what a waste.

Umair Khan | 13 years ago | Reply So did he not felt ashamed while meeting her?

Raj | 13 years ago | Reply She must have done something wrong to annoy the US, otherwise her arrest does not benefit US in any shape and form. US cannot use her talent in the prison without providing her state of art research facilities. Contrary, all the news about her arrest may be a drama, US may be actually using her prowess to come up with advanced research in physics.

Kazmis | 13 years ago | Reply Those who joined terrorists and then failed then and badly beaten afterward by west and now the result is a shattered Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iraq and Libya and many other in the line. All BIGs are sold out to US, other being killed by Drones and Blackwater in Karachi. US is kind enough to allow telephone facilities and consular visit etc, they may perhaps release Dr. Afia now as Raymond Davis is freed. The delay is perhaps, just to keep the deal covert.

Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Sister Afia: We cannot even say sorry to you because this word has no meaning in front of the pains you have borne. We are ashamed!

Mohammad Ali Siddiqui | 13 years ago | Reply The Supreme Court of Pakistan should request US President Barack Obama to pardon Dr, Aafia Siddiqui as a similar request has been made recently by Indian Supreme Court to the President of Pakistan for release of an Indian spy and Mr. Zardari has released the Indian spy who has already reached India. If US government will reach Aafia Siddiqui, relations between Pakistan and US governments are likely to be normalized.

Mahmood | 13 years ago | Reply @munib: Hatred should have limits. She is human being.

Peace On Earth | 13 years ago | Reply Its disgusting to see people support a woman that associated herself with extremist groups. To all those who say the charges against her are baseless, why does the Taliban openly support her and call her one of there own? She is a woman and such a status is not common amongst extremist groups so surely there is a bigger link between her and extremists groups operating in Pakistan. Plus, the Pakistan Consulate in Houston is an embarrassment for our nation. Two of the top officials were arrested by the FBI and police for corruption, forgery, bribery, and a host of other charges.

Cautious | 13 years ago | Reply Waste of resources - a hate filled person who has been used and abused by political forces in Pakistan to carry out their personal agenda's. She was provided a million dollar legal defense team which she ignored because they were infidels - she used the courtroom to spout her hateful message and during cross examination she was shredded on the witness stand and proved to be a bald face liar. For anyone else who happens to get tried in a courtroom in the USA - don't ask for DNA testing of the judge and jury to eliminate certain religions from the courtroom (the USA has freedom of religion) and if you happen to go to MIT make sure you attend the classes which inform you that DNA and religion have nothing to do with each other.

Fahad Raza | 13 years ago | Reply Dr. Afia Sididqqui we respect you and pray for you and your family. Hope you will be release soon.

Andrew | 13 years ago | Reply Number 1. Dr. Aafia is a citizen of Pakistan. She came to the United States on a student visa, and after her marriage her visa was changed to reflect her status as the wife of foreign national authorized to work in the United States. Number 2. She was neither charged with nor convicted of any terrorism related activities. All allegations of any relationship with terrorists come from the same people who are accused of kidnapping her and her three children, holding her and the two children who survived the kidnapping in secret prisons, and torturing them.

DIG | 13 years ago | Reply @Anoop: If it serves the purpose he can even meet an Indian spy!

DIG | 13 years ago | Reply America and its supporters talk about hate growing against Amertica all these happenings allover the World shows who to hate!!

Anoop | 13 years ago | Reply Why is he meeting the Citizen of another Country? She has accepted the American Citizenship and no longer a Pakistani citizen. Will he also visit all Terrorists of Pakistani origin all over the World? If so then there is a HUGE list. He can also visit that nutcase Faisal Shehzad.

Pro Pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply @ishaq: What were the charges to here to prove her terrorists? how you say that? All the wold Pakistanis as terrorists, so why waste time and money on you?

ishaq | 13 years ago | Reply Kindly do something for the People Living in Pakistan Don't Waste Time & Money on Terrorists.

Aftab Kenneth Wilson | 13 years ago | Reply According to recent reports she also talked to her kids, mother and sister. I hope USA will release her soon. Anyhow good to note that she was given access which is not done in normal circumstances in USA.

munib | 13 years ago | Reply Its sad that a Lady whose past is full of assistance to Terrorists (specifically Al-Qaeda) will be helped by a country where 9000 women are tortured-killed-raped every year and there is no one to listen to their cries. People of PAK will pay their tax for what? so that their (our ) government will try to have a Terrorist released, for what ? so that she come back PAK and Join JI-JUI and then she will be used to get Votes for whom? the same people who have used religion to terrorize people and all those Taliban sympathizers out there. Whats wrong with this nation? Are we in our senses ? Why is this terrorist not left to pay the price of her crimes ?

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