A file photo of Dr Aafia Siddiqui (R) and Shakil Afridi (L). PHOTO: FILE
Afridi was sentenced to a 33-year jail term in May 2012 for helping the US CIA determine the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and for his links to a banned militant group.
Aafia is the Pakistani scientist who was sentenced to 86 years on September 23, 2010 after she was found guilty on seven counts, including attempted murder. She is currently being held at an American maximum security prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
The spokesperson said, “The decision regarding Shakil Afridi’s fate will be decided according to Pakistani law. He has broken the law and will be punished accordingly.”
The Foreign Office's comments come against the backdrop of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's official visit to the United States.
To a question about Dr Aafia Siddiqui and Dr Shakil Afridi, the premier had said the United States did raise its concerns, as did Pakistan. “They discussed Dr Shakil, we did Dr Aafia. Now we will review the situation after we reach Pakistan.”
During the visit, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, had urged Nawaz to release Dr Shakil Afridi.
According to a statement, Royce said, “I specifically pressed the prime minister to release Dr Shakil Afridi and encouraged him to ensure that his nation is in fact a responsible and effective partner in countering terrorism, proliferation and violent extremism in the region.”
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@unbelievable: Dear unbelievable, You may well be correct as to who paid for Dr Aafia Siddiqui's education, but all I can find is that she studied at Houston University for a year, was a brilliant student and was subsequently awarded a scholarship by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is not clear who funded her scholarship. If you have more accurate data your advise would be appreciated.
@piddler:
Yeah - education cost are outrageous in the USA - but she received scholarships funded by US taxpayers dedicated to help deserving people in 3'rd World countries. Perhaps the real crime is that Aafia used scholarships that could have been put to good use by a deserving person.
@Sexton Blake: Hardly any use to take you out of your delusions.Sure can be a nice coping mechanism,but ultimately fatal.
@unbelievable: Free education? In USA ? That's a laugh
@Last Word: Seems to be lot of reading you put into aafia s case. Are you a troll for the us embassy?
@Sexton Blake: Will make a nice fantasy writer,Mr.Blake. Fed on controversies theories over the years,you have lost the faculty to discriminate as to what is wrong,plausible or a downright lie. The truth remains of Al-Qaida terrorists slamming airplanes into WTC. A minisicule ,self-serving lobby like yours is bound to rant on it till eternity. Wont make it it a lie.As for Afia,her connections to Al-Qida has been established from her activities at college and money-collecting for such.One simply does not leave a rich and loving husband for a low-life terrorist,but she did it.She was caught with ammunitions and maps in Afghanistan.And then tried to grab a gun onto the officer.She was convicted in the court of law with attorneys provided by the US government. And she decided to be stubborn and not co-operate,abusing jews on top.She could have appealed but did not(she new nothing new will come out of a clear-cut case).She got what she deserved.Congratulate TTP /al-Qaida and yourself for turing bright.noble kids into vertitable monsters
The whole situation is ludicrous. What really happened is that US intelligence were going through a bad time. They had to come up with an explanation about what happened at 9/11. They ignored all the real evidence such as thermite in the World-Trade-Centre debris, and that planes were allowed to float around American skies for hours without the US air-force taking action, and they picked up a few guys one of whom was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. After being water-boarded 183 time, amongst other enhanced interrogation techniques he gave US intelligence a few hundred names, and one of them included his niece Dr. Aafria Siddiqui To cut a long story short Dr Aafria Siddiqui was picked up, tortured for several years, shot in the stomach, and transported from Afghanistan to New York for a Slam-Dunk American show trial designed not to fail. Most of the important players in the trial belonged to a religious group which was not Islamic. Thus the brave Americans managed to get somebody convicted, and gave the impression she was involved with terrorism, without producing any evidence of terrorism whatsoever, or any evidence at all for that matter. One has to congratulate the Americans. They ran a very slick, albeit disgraceful operation.
@Sexton Blake:
"The Pakistan authorities have gone out of their way to appease the Americans. The release of Mr Raymond Davies is a case in point. Unfortunately, it appears to be a one way street."
Pakistan go "out of their way to appease" Americans in return for cool hard cash in the billions. Thus, it is not a "one way street" as you put it. It is a simple transaction of action for cash.
@Vikram:
She may spill the beans about ISI and terrorists connections . In that case, what is she waiting for?
@unbelievable: Dear unbelievable, I suppose you think that all US information information is the truth, such as so called weapons-of-mass destruction in Iraq? I suppose that like numbers you also believe the nonsense about Dr Aafia Siddiqui in Wikipedia. Additionally, the fact that anybody is fired by Al Jazeera is a plus, means that they will not tell lies, and are attempting to reveal the truth.. After all, Al Jazeera is mainly staffed by BBC imports, and is owned by United Arab Emirates, which is closely aligned to CIA, MI6, etc. It is my view that Yvonne Ridley is one of the better journalists who does not compromise easily. It is also my view that Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan's summary of Dr Aafia Siddiqui is right on track. She has been treated dreadfully.
For terrorists,their relatives and their apologists Aafia is the hero. For the rest Afridi.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan:
Allegations made popular by articles written by Yvonne Ridley - radical anti Western reporter who's bias was so pronounced that even Al Jazeera fired her. Ridley published this nonsense without a shred of evidence. No one who spouts this nonsense (including Ridley) has ever attempted to confirm these allegations with Aafia who sits in a USA prison waiting for people to write or call. . Ever ask yourself that despite the leak of thousands of classified documents from the State Dept, Pentagon and NSA - all documents confirm USA official position on Aafia? If the USA was half as bad as you portrait they would have simply killed her in Afghanistan - why bother to bring her back to the USA - allow her to take the witness stand in front of an international press?
Aafia: Beloved daughter of Pakistan falsely charged, abused, raped, and tortured by US in the notorious Bagram prison.
Afridi: An agent of foreign intelligent groups and anti-government militias, hated throughout the length and breadth of Pakistan. A disgrace to the medical profession and hippocratic oath.
@numbersnumbers: Dear Numbers, Like you, and everybody contributing to this article, I do not have the evidence. However, like you, I have read reasonably widely, and as yet have not perceived any data that would stand-up in a reasonable court-of-law, particularly the Wikipedia article. You however, have decided that Dr Aafia Siddiqui is guilty and nothing will change your mind in regard to the ridiculous charges laid against her. To me, most of the articles sound like revved up misogyny.
@Ricky: Dear Ricky, I suggest you visit America/UK/Israel/Canada/Australia, and most European countries. Start working with the Intelligence Agency of a foreign power without the local Governments permission and see what happens to you in any of those countries. Be rest assured that you will go to prison for a very, very long time if you are lucky.
@Insaan: Who is TTP fighting back?50,000 innocent Pakistanis killed.And they are your heroes.Those that deny Pakistani children vaccine.Off course people who rant here would surely have their kids get the immunization.Easy to see others' kids getting paralysed.
@Sexton Blake: You (and everyone else) can read all about the Aafia trial on Wikipedia, hardly a comic book! That Wikipedia Aafia article also has dozens of supporting references listed! Where do YOU find the nonsense you regularly tout as facts??? You claim to not have the time to refute comments (but more likely don't have the evidence)!
@Umer: She is now and has been US citizen. She abondened Pakistani citizenship way back. So she is no more problem of Pakistan. Why her family is pushing Pakistani govt for her release ?
@Last Word: Dear Last Word, You almost brought a tear to my eye with your Hollywood type sentimental nonsense, in regard to Dr Afridi, but I used much will-power and resisted it. However, tell me. On who's behalf are you writing for? You also appear to be writing in tandem with unbelievable. I know that unbelievable is always doing put-downs on Pakistan, but Pakistanis are not that dumb. You must be writing for another audience who pretend to be Pakistanis.
Thousands of innocent naïve Pakistani laborers are in foreign jails in Islamic countries for petty crimes and their stupidity. However we are only interested in one terrorist woman a long time resident of the US. Our hearts only ache for proven fanatic terrorists. We only hate Afridi because he helped confirm the presence of OBL in our military base. The so-called and much maligned fake vaccination campaign was not fake in the sense that no harmful chemicals were injected. The only thing that was done was an unauthorized vaccination campaign in that area to confirm the presence of OBL's family. Afridi did not know OBL's presence in Pakistani base. Americans were already there watching the "pacer" for months in that compound. They only used a local man to confirm his presence by obtaining the DNA of OBL's harem. OBL was not discovered by any Pakistani but the US technology. A single Pakistani could not have found OBL on his own.
It is rather strange that Dr Afridi is being charged of treason which in legal terms is the most heinous crime ie an act of betrayal or extreme act against sovereign or nation or conspiring with or without the help of a foreign power to overthrow a government. Dr Afridi case does not fall any of the above mentioned categories instead he was acting as a good citizen of the world to locate or aiding to arrest the world's most notorious criminal by sharing information or even colluding with a foreign power for this noble cause with no ill-intentions against his own country making the case of treason against him as untenable in any court of law. Dr Afridi by his actions has not betrayed against his own country or undermined the sovereignty of the nation thus cannot be charged for treason even if the state knowingly harboured this terrorist which caused it immense embarrassment in the eyes of the whole world. Ironically, those who had harboured OBL for ten long years have not been charged with criminal conspiracy but the one who found him has been handed over 33 years imprisonment. This is the biggest case of injustice in the present day world which has happened in a democratic country with an independent judiciary.
@unbelievable: Dear Unbeleivable, Last word: Which US comic book did you read for that nonsense? I could easily refute what you both said, but will now call it a day. There are obviously too many conditioned people writing in with imagined, but different non-factual nonsense.
Dr Aafia Siddique life story can be made into a mega movie which might turn out to be one of the biggest thriller of all times. Aafia, who is Karachi born migrated to US at a very young age and went on to attain Ph.D in neuroscience. She was known to be a nice and soft spoken person but deeply religious by her friends. She had an arranged marriage, three children were born and she was leading a normal life until she decided to join Muslim Student Federation(MSA) which was the turning point in her life. MSA was influenced by Abdullah who is known to be the mentor of Osama Bin Laden. Through MSA she met several committed Islamists and thus her journey began into the world of Al Qaida, in which she participated in fund raising for jihad. After 9/11, she left America for Pakistan feeling unsafe due to her association with Al Qaida. Her first husband divorced her in 2002 due to her jihadi activities, but she was remarried to Amaar Baluchi in 2003 nephew of Al Qaida leader Khalid Sheikh Mohammad who on being arrested by US police named Aafia as a member of this organisation and stated that she participated in 9/11 attack. Thereafter, being hounded by CIA in Pakistan, she left for Afganistan where she was arrested. US police alleged that she was involved in a shooting incident against the police officers for which she was sentenced for 86 years in prison, but no charges were pressed on her terror activities, association with Al Qaida and 9/11 attack. Many believe that she was charged falsely in a fake shooting incident, but her involvement with Al Qaida is completely true. This is a chilling story of a highly qualified and religious individual from Pakistan who turned into a fanatic after joining a religious organisation in US, not only spoiling her own life, but the family as well. The moral of this unfortunate but true story is that excess of anything is bad, be it religious beliefs which can turn into a disaster as the present situation in Pakistan suggests.
Dr.Shakil was made a escape goat....
@Sophya Khan:
It was a public trial which was attended by journalist from around the World. Aafia was represented by a Class A legal team which was funded by a $2 million contribution by the Pakistan govt. By all accounts Aafia's behavior in the courtroom was outrageous - she demanded DNA samples from everyone to determine if they were Jews (guess she didn't know that DNA has nothing to do with your religion or that USA honors freedom of religion). She ignored advice from her attorneys and chose to take the witness stand where her testimony was shredded making her out to be a bald face liar. So - yeah she had a fair trial - and yeah her sentence was unusually long but that's currently under appeal and likely to be reduced.
@Sexton Blake:
Prosecutor said that charge was unnecessary since sentence on attempted murder was sufficient and they preferred not having to disclose confidential informant information unless it was absolutely necessary. I suppose the USA always has the option to charge her later unless there is a statue of limitation issue. . Portraying Aafia as a victim is inappropriate. Her first husband has publicly stated she's a terrorist, her second husband is a member of Al Qaeda and sitting in Guantanamo. her Uncle is one of the master minds of 911 and sitting in Guantanamo. She illegally entered Afghanistan where she was caught by Afghan authorities who indicated "she had a number of documents written in Urdu and English describing the creation of explosives, chemical weapons, Ebola, dirty bombs, and radiological agents (which discussed mortality rates of certain of the weapons), and handwritten notes referring to a "mass casualty attack" that listed various U.S. locations and landmarks (including the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the New York City subway system)". Convicted terrorist - no - but certainly no innocent victim. .
@Zeeshan Hasan:
He provided legitimate vaccines to patients providing a tiny blood sample to a Pakistani ally - not one bit different than South American doctors when the USA was trying to track down the location of drug cartels. The big difference is that when the American's discovered the location of cartel leaders the South American's arrested and extradited the thugs to America. . I understand why your embarrassed/angry that Pakistan got caught harboring the Worlds most notorious terrorist - but harboring the terrorist is the crime.
@Mohammed Abbasi: You are right
@A J Khan: Yes both are different. Dr Aafia is a terrorists & Dr Shakil is a spy.
Dr Shakil is not a spy. He just helped US find a terrorist who was being protected by Pakistan government.
I don't think Dr Shakil was charged as being a spy.
Pakistan army/ISI helped US find drone targets. One of the target group had cell phones and papers that connected the group with ISI. Pakistan will do anything for money. TTP knows the truth and is fighting back.
Prime Minster of Pakistan should know what agreements have been made by his predcessors regarding drones before he goes and talks about drones.
This means an agreement to leave Afridi has already been made.msince Afia will not be released at that time, this clarification was necessary.
@Sophya Khan: We're you as concerned about fair trial to dozens of Pakistanis beheaded in Saudi Arabia without a fair trial? Guess not. What about Asia bibi? Do you think she has any hope of a fair trial?
@Mohammed Abbasi:
Popular Pakistani myth - she's not an American citizen - easy Google, suggest you look at Wikipedia.
America gave Aafia a free education that most in the World would envy - and she hates their guts. Pakistan gave Aafia unemployment and ignored her credentials because she was a women - what do you think she thinks of you?
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Afia an American Citizen?
No surprise people thinking Aafia S. as a hero, when they provided shelter to the most wanted terrorist in the world for 10 years in the neighborhood of the military academy.
Afridi was sentenced to a 33-year jail term in May 2012 for helping the US CIA determine the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and for his links to a banned militant group. . Rubbish - helping CIA may have been motive for Pakistani persecution but the only charge levied against him was the bogus charge helping terrorist groups.
@Umer: Because she is in a US prison sentenced to prison by a court of law with evidence. If she was in a Qatari, Dubai or Saudi jail for not following the inhumane labor laws under which Gulf countries operate and humiliate Pakistanis it would never matter to the gharat brigade. Because of course Arabs are our brothers no matter how many times their shoes hit us head.
@azmat khan: If Dr Aafria Siddiqui is a lunatic terrorist why has she not been charged with terrorism? It seems to me that all you brave men, making indefensible charges, are in reality a bunch of conformist cowards.
@Sophya Khan: you are justifying ban on polio campaign due to one fake operation. Then i think cricket, politician and all the commodities should be banned in Pakistan, because at some point of time all of them were related to scam, faking, corruption etc. If you have some problem in the system then instead of correcting it you will dump the system. GREAT!!! good luck :)
No other country can make a fool of itself like Pakistan. No wonder Obama met with Nigerian President and refused to meet Pakistani Prime Minister during the UN conference. Even this Oct. 23 meeting came to Pakistan just by chance. Obama was scheduled to meet Brazilian leader that day and since that fell out, Nawaz Sharif was given that vacant slot. All reports from Pakistan gives an impression that the most important point of discussion for Pakistan was release of Afia and drones, both centering on protection of terrorists. With these priorities, Pakistan wants respect and understanding from the world community.
The Pakistani population are their own biggest enemies. They push their Prime Minister to these discussions and set such goals that they are a failed state. The media is useless and insane and not able to guide the population. It is difficult even to pity this country.
Everyone in Pakistan wants Afia back in Pakistan. Many would like Malala to be back in Pakistan but no one in Pakistan want her back. The reason is that they are sure they can protect Afia in Pakistan but cannot protect Malala in Pakistan. I agree that Malala was somewhat but not that much hyped and she was coached to come to prominence. However, the fact is that she is able to absorb her coaching because she had clear thoughts and clean mind. However much you may try, you cannot make Afia like Malala. Had Nawaz Sharif said a word about Malala, had he said that Pakistan is proud of Malala but unfortunately they were unable to protect her, the world community would have understood, appreciated his sincerity and also the sincerity of the population he represents. Overall, Nawaz Sharif has left a very bad impression of Pakistan and also reinforced in the minds of Americans that Pakistan does not deserve any support or sympathy.
Yes both are different. Dr Aafia is a terrorists & Dr Shakil is a spy. Dr Aafia should not be repatriated to Pakistan. We are already self sufficient, rather overflowing with such characters.
where is my comment?
@militant: I don't know much or care about aafiya but afridi did something extraordinary yar, OBL, no.1 terrorist, was killed due to his information. Now don't tell me he wasn't a terrorist. Instead of putting afridi in jail Pakistan should have rewarded him. But if isi knew about obl and was indulged in hiding him, then it's a different story all together.
Offcourse not! One is Pakistani ghairat and the other is American pride. One exists and the other doesn't.
The only two things common betweem the two cases are 1) Both are in jail on trumped up charges and 2) The judiciary of BOTH countries is not koesher.
@militant: Just because 90% of the people want something doesn't make it right. Learn the difference between opinions and factual truth. Never underestimate the stupidity of people is mass groups.
@Vikram:
hahahahaha should I laugh, come with sense and valid reasoning. Just get a life
FO truly lives in a fantasy world where Pakistanis a superpower that can dictate to the US.
Definition of a hero in Pakistan is exactly opposite to the one in rest of the world. Even Arab and Afghan invaders are Pakistani heroes. Whatever Pakistani politicians might say in public, they will never want Aafia back as she will become one of their main competitor. If these leaders can not deal with a Malala, how will they face a Aafia?
Dr Shakil Afridi is a hero and should be awarded for showing the world the true face of Pakistan. Aafia is an extremist and should be locked up for the rest of her life
Foreign Office has issued the statement after the US Government has said that the case of Aaafia Siddiqui cannot be discussed any more.
The treatment of Dr, Aafia Siddiqui by the Americans has been appalling. The Pakistan authorities have gone out of their way to appease the Americans. The release of Mr Raymond Davies is a case in point. Unfortunately, it appears to be a one way street.. I agree that comparing Dr Afridi with Dr Siddiqui is not quite right. Dr Siddiqui did not commit treason, and I am still waiting for the Americans to come with believable non-trumped up charges against her.
Why is Afia Siddiui so important when so many Pakistani are in prison all over the world?
No parallel she is a terrorist and he helped in catching one
Hope it is not the prelude to the release of another prisoner by Pakistan Authorities under duress.