US Keeping Diplomatic Communications on Aafia Siddiqui Private
- By Jahanzaib Ali -
- Oct 23, 2024
The United States intends to keep its “diplomatic communications” regarding Dr. Aafia Siddiqui private, as Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appealed to President Biden for her release on humanitarian grounds.
The Pakistani High Court had asked the Pakistani government for a comprehensive report on diplomatic efforts to secure Aafia Siddiqui’s release. In response, the government presented a letter dated October 13, indicating a direct appeal from PM Sharif to President Biden to reconsider Siddiqui’s case on humanitarian grounds.
“I certainly wouldn’t get into private diplomatic communications, and on the case itself, I would refer you to the Department of Justice for any inquiries regarding Dr. Siddiqui’s incarceration,” Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department, Vedant Patel, said during a press briefing.
Aafia Siddiqui is currently serving her sentence at a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, without the possibility of parole.
In his letter to President Biden, PM Sharif highlighted that Siddiqui’s incarceration has severely affected her mental and physical health, noting concerns for her well-being, including the possibility of self-harm.
Emphasizing his duty to protect Pakistani citizens, Sharif requested that Biden “exercise his authority to grant clemency and secure Siddiqui’s release on humanitarian grounds.” He stated that millions of Pakistanis expected Biden to perform this “act of kindness.”
When asked about the killing of a Pakistani doctor by police on “blasphemy” charges, Patel said, “We uniformly oppose blasphemy laws everywhere in the world, including Pakistan. We believe these laws jeopardize the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion or belief. We regularly raise these concerns with countries around the world, including Pakistan.”
When inquired about details of the Indian Enquiry Committee’s meeting with State Department officials regarding the alleged murder plot of a Sikh activist by Indian agents, Patel said there had been valuable engagement with India’s Enquiry Committee last week, and information was exchanged between the two governments to further their respective investigations.
“We understand that the Indian Enquiry Committee will continue its investigation, and we expect to see further steps based on last week’s conversations,” he noted.
“We continue to expect and want to see accountability based on the results of that investigation, and certainly, the United States will not be fully satisfied until there is meaningful accountability resulting from that investigation.”