Dr Aafia Siddiqui. PHOTO: FILE
The United States has called on Pakistan to sign a Council of Europe convention on the transfer of prisoners or convicts, Pakistani officials said on Tuesday. The recommendation came in response to a request for the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners languishing in US jails.
The Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, 1985, signed and ratified by 64 countries, allows foreigners convicted of a criminal offence to serve out their sentences in their home countries.
“We sought a No objection Certificate (NoC) from the Foreign Office for an agreement with the US on the transfer of prisoners,” said Additional Interior Secretary Saud Mirza.
The ministry wrote to the Foreign Office after the US showed its willingness to cooperate with Pakistan over the exchange of prisoners, he added.
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also endorsed the foreign ministry’s suggestion for Pakistan to sign the Council of Europe Convention to take up the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqi, as well as other prisoners.
After seeking the interior ministry’s consent, the foreign office moved a summary to the prime minister earlier this year.
The issue of an agreement was formally taken up with Washington some four years back when the then interior minister Rehman Malik and US Attorney General Eric Holder met to discuss matters related to prisoners, including Dr Aafia, Mirza had informed a Senate panel while explaining the matter.
Pakistan is also considering signing the Inter-American Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad (2001) if legal hurdles do not come in the way, he added.
But some officials in the interior ministry think otherwise. “Even if Pakistan signs these conventions, it is not certain whether the transfer of prisoners between US and Pakistan will take place or not,” observed Section Officer Usman Ghani Khattak in his official letter dispatched to the director general (US) ministry of foreign affairs, Islamabad on January 3, 2013.
“We will gather information concerning the development on the proposed treaty on transfer of offenders or convicts between Washington and Islamabad,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.
Matt Boland, acting spokesperson of the US Embassy in Islamabad, claimed to be unaware of the development and hence did not comment.
Pakistan is currently in negotiations over signing the transfer of offenders’ agreement with 22 countries. These are Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, USA, Yemen, Lebanon, Kuwait, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Indonesia and Ireland.
Islamabad is also trying to sign extradition agreements with 18 countries.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2013.
COMMENTS (13)
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@Raj Kafir: Dear Raj, A good start in understanding why Dr. A Siddiqui was given 86 years in prison is to realize that the American prison system is a private enterprise business. America has more people incarcerated than any other country, and most of the poor wretches are given excessive prison sentences. The people running the country do not care about the cost. The lowly paid tax payers will cover the cost whilst the tycoons at the top make excessive profits, and it is the tycoons who control many of the politicians. It should be realized that the prison system has nothing to do with law and order, and that there are many other considerations which require discussion, but a stop has to be made somewhere.
@Sexton Blake: I agree hundred percent with you, please enlighten me what is the benefit to the United States by convicting and putting her in jail for 86 years.
@Raj Kafir: Dear Raj, Thank you for backtracking on your obviously incorrect statement that "Dr. Aafi Siddiqui was convicted of terrorism". Unfortunately, in your reply, you have not improved and appear to be selectively picking unimportant, questionable items , from a Wikipedia article, which would hardly stand up in any court-of-law other than in the American judicial system. Dr Aafi Siddiqui’s name was extracted from Khalid S. Muhammad, her uncle-in-law, after he had been water-boarded 183 times, plus other doubtful treatment, by his US torturers. She was subsequently picked up and interrogated by US torturers for several years, and continuously raped until she became pregnant. The torture personnel at Bagram airbase could not find evidence of any terrorism, so they shot Dr. Siddiqui in the stomach, falsely charged her, a diminutive seventy pound woman, with assaulting them, did not provide any forensic or other credible evidence to support the charges, and subsequently, in a very doubtful, unsafe trial, Dr. Siddiqui was sentenced to 86 years of incarceration. If I used the vulgar nomenclature of Professor B. Hoffman, quoted by you, it could be called a kangaroo court. The trial, under Justice Berman, was a tragic miscarriage of justice by any standards. I think we are getting used to lies, faulty and uncivilized decisions by the American political/judicial system. However, might is not right, and getting used to incredibly bad decisions does not mean we have to like them.
Aafia is an innocent Pakistani citizen who even didnt apply for US Green card. She is mother of 3 & should be freed immediately.
Former Attorney General Hon Ramsey Clark Senator & former US Presidential candidate Mike Gravel 6 times elected member congress Cynthia M. Kinney President UNAC Joe Lombardo President Workers Action Forum Sara Flounders & many many many more@Raj Kafir: Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark said he had not witnessed such an injustice in his entire career of 60 years. He is 86 at present. Therefore my dear friend don't be a part of the Interernational game for Power. Its all politics. She is an innocent & mother of 3.
Matt Boland, acting spokesperson of the US Embassy in Islamabad, claimed to be unaware of the development and hence did not comment. . Pretty much says it all - another "made in Pakistan" article? I might add that when the USA released some of the Pakistani Guantanamo prisoners they did so based on your promise that you would monitor them -- something you failed to do. It's unlikely the USA is going to release further prisoners into Pakistan custody. . Lastly - given a choice between an American prison and a Pakistani prison I suspect she would elect to stay in America.
@Sexton Blake: I amend my earlier statement. She is a convicted and jailed criminal not terrorist.
Siddiqui was charged on July 31, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, with assault with a deadly weapon, and with attempting to kill U.S. personnel.[19][20] She was flown to New York on August 6, and indicted on September 3, 2008, on two counts of attempted murder of U.S. nationals, officers, and employees, assault with a deadly weapon, carrying and using a firearm, and three counts of assault on U.S. officers and employees.[10][96][97]
Explaining why the U.S. may have chosen to charge her as they did, rather than for her alleged terrorism, Bruce Hoffman, professor of security studies at Georgetown University, said the decision turned what might have been a potentially complex terrorism matter into a more straightforward case:
"There’s no intelligence data that needs to be introduced, no sources and methods that need to be risked. It’s a good old-fashioned crime; it’s the equivalent of a 1920s gangster with a tommy gun."[98]
Unbiased information can be read on this link..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aafia_Siddiqui
@Raj Kafir: Dear Raj, Dr. Afia Siddiqui has never been charged with terrorism and is not in jail for terrorism. You really must try and get it right.
I fail to understand Pakistanis' fascination with Dr Afia Siddiqui, a convicted and jailed terrorist. What is the major benefit to United States if she is innocent. If she is innocent, then she must be absolutely brilliant and genius and America do not want to loose a talented person like her. Then it is possible that under the guise of conviction, America may have set up a research laboratory for her.
@Socrates: she doesn't hold American Citizenship. who told you?
She is not even eligible for transfer under this treaty, as she is an American Citizen.
As if we had a problem handing over our citizens for $$$ without a treaty. any ways, good luck .
Wow, what timing, if it happens another 5 years for PPP ! well played. I just our masses are not that naive anymore to fall for this.