Dr Aafia Siddiqui's mother passes away in Karachi

KARACHI: Asmat Siddiqui, the mother of a Pakistani woman jailed in United States Dr Aafia Siddiqui, passed away in Karachi on Saturday, ARY NEWS reported.

Pasban e Pakistan President Altaf Shakoor confirmed the death of the mother of Dr Aaafia and Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui and said that the timing of the funeral would be announced by the family later.

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un

Asmat Siddiqui, mother of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist jailed in the U.S. passed away today morning.

May Allah SWT rest her soul in eternal peace.

— Naimat Khan (@NKMalazai) July 2, 2022

Last week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the family of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving a jail term in US, in acquiring the United States (US) visa.

Siddiqui was sentenced to 86 years imprisonment by a US court for allegedly shooting at US Army and FBI officers while in custody in Afghanistan.

The court, in its written verdict, also ordered the foreign office to ensure that Dr Aafia’s family doesn’t face any hardship while travelling to the United States. “The foreign office must ensure the safety of Dr Aafia’s family during their visit to United States,” the verdict read.

Fouzia Siddiqui, the inmate’s sister, filed the petition in the high court, demanding that the government take measures to ensure a meeting between Dr Aafia and her family in the US prison.