Aafia case
ISLAMABAD
Islamabad High Court (IHC) has said that it wanted to see a aconcert decision by govt on prisoners transfer agreement regarding the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
As per details, the single bench of Mr Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaque Khan on Friday heard the petition of Dr Fowzia Siddiqui seeking release and repartition of her sister Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
The honourable court in its order said with reference to parleys on the prisoners transfer agreement, the learned AAG apprised that special meetings were held with some progress.
Though the progress doesn’t appear to be at pace it ought to have been, given that the topic of the prisoners transfer agreement has been on the government’s radar for many years by now, the learned AAG also said that others options were being considered that he would be able to revert on the next date.
This was also confirmed by the learned AAG. With this being the position, this Court is at a bit of loss to understand what concerns, if any, the government might have in signing the said treaty.
When asked whether the signing of the 1993 Convention tied down the hands of the government in any manner in refusing the prisoners exchange for good reasons, the answer given by the learned amicus was in the negative, and that the host government could still refuse the request for the exchange of prisoners.
The AAG’s concern about the implications of some other countries being members of the 1993 Convention can be answered by the same argument. Learned AAG seeks another opportunity even though it was emphasized in the last order that the court expected to see a concert answer today.
His request is allowed, noting that on the next date a simple statement that the matter is under consideration amongst various ministries would not be accepted.
The court now wants to see a concert decision by the government, for which it is being allowed four weeks from today, noting that this is ample time for all the stakeholders to give their considered response and for the government to come up with its final decision.
Mr. Smith could not join us today online, presumably for being taken up with jubilant celebrations over the win of his favorite political party in his constituency for the first time since over a century and half.
Ms. Fowzia Siddiqui noted certain positive developments in relation to the litigations that were targeted to be filed in July, which I would not pen down, letting those developments to be documented by the way of a declaration by Mr. Smith.
