Aafia Siddiqui complains of mistreatment by US authorities: FO spokesperson

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal on Thursday said Pakistani consul general in the USA held a meeting with incarcerated Dr Aafia Siddiqui on May 23 where she complained of the mistreatment by US authorities.

“Pakistan has raised this issue with the concerned US quarters asking them to investigate the matter and address the complaints. Dr Aafia Siddiqui also handed over a letter to the Consul General to be delivered to her mother,” he said while addressing weekly news briefing in Islamabad.

The MIT-trained neuro-scientist, Aafia Siddiqui, is serving 86-year prison sentence after being convicted by the US court of seven counts of attempted murder and assault on US military personnel in Afghanistan.

Read More: Pakistani consulate refutes rumours of Aafia Siddiqui’s death

Governor rule in Occupied Kashmir aims at suppressing Kashmiris’ will

Dr Muhammad Faisal on Thursday said the so-called governor’s rule in Occupied Kashmir was one of the ploys adopted by New Delhi from time to time to further suppress the will of the Kashmiri people.

“Imposition of governor rule and the ongoing bloodshed in Occupied Kashmir along with statements emanating from India about a crackdown on Kashmiris indicate an alarming Indian imperviousness to international opinion,” he said.

Muhammad Faisal said such steps were likely to result in enhanced Indian brutalities and a virtual free hand to Indian security forces against innocent Kashmiris.

He said Pakistan strongly condemned the killing of Kashmiri citizens by Indian forces, a reflection of intolerance of Indian state apparatus that wanted to stifle speech and expression.

“Pakistan calls upon India to hold independent, transparent and credible investigation on the brutal assassination of seasoned Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.

Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, the FO spokesperson said Pakistan supported Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process to bring peace in the war-torn country.

He said Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa during his visit to Afghanistan earlier this month held talks with President Ashraf Ghani on bilateral issues and matters related to Afghan peacemaking efforts.

The Pakistani delegation congratulated Afghan leaders on recent initiatives that will ultimately lead towards an enduring peace, he said.

Confirming the killing of TTP Chief Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan, the foreign office spokesman said Pakistan welcomed the elimination of the threat and believed in cooperation with others to defeat terrorism.

He said Pakistan did not distinguish between good and bad Taliban and was equally pursuing all terrorist groups that threatened its security and stability.