PM Shehbaz urges Biden to free Aafia

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has requested US President Joe Biden to release Dr Aafia Siddiqui on humanitarian grounds.

In a letter written by the PM to the US president, Shehbaz Sharif stated that Dr Aafia Siddiqui had been sentenced to 86 years in prison by a US District Court.

He urged Biden to use his constitutional authority to grant a pardon and order her release on humanitarian grounds.

PM Shehbaz highlighted that Dr Aafia Siddiqui's family, along with millions of Pakistanis, were awaiting the act of kindness.

Dr Aafia has been incarcerated in FMC Carswell since September 2010, serving 16 years in a US jail.

The PM noted that over the years, Pakistani officials had held consular meetings with Dr Aafia Siddiqui, during which serious concerns about her medical treatment were raised.

There are significant worries regarding her deteriorating mental and physical health, and concerns have been expressed that she may take her own life. Her case should be viewed with compassion, the letter mentioned.

The prime minister wrote that it was his "solemn duty" to ensure the wellbeing of his citizens, appealing to Biden to fulfil the same role as a head of state. "I am well aware of how passionately you have fought for the rights of your citizens, particularly those stranded or held captive abroad," the PM wrote.

"You would, therefore, fully understand that as prime minister, it is my solemn duty to intervene when it becomes absolutely necessary to ensure a citizen's wellbeing, particularly when the circumstances are as dire as they are in this case."

The prime minister urged Biden to release Dr Siddiqui on humanitarian grounds, writing, "I have always known you to be a committed friend of Pakistan who has demonstrated warmth and genuine friendship for our people.

"I request you, Mr president, to kindly exercise your constitutional authority and accept Dr Siddiqui's clemency petition and order her release, strictly on humanitarian grounds."