Call for immediate release of Aafia
August 06, 2010
LAHORE :
SPEAKERS at a seminar called for the immediate release of all the missing persons in general and Dr Aafia Siddiqui in particular and appealed to the Pakistanis to act like a united nation in all the matters of national interest.
They were speaking at a seminar on Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s imprisonment and the facts behind this…
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fouzia Siddiqui, elder sister of Dr Aafia, said Aafia was only a Pakistani citizen and all the allegations against her, that she was also having an American or any other nationality, were wrong. She said another claim of some people against her that she was a neuro physicist was also altogether wrong. She said Aafia was in fact a PhD and not a medical doctor, adding that she was more precisely an educationist by profession.
Ms Fouzia said the American judge, conducting her case, gave a ruling that Aafia was not charged with terrorism because there was not even single evidence found against her during the last six years which could prove her a terrorist. She said the judge, in fact, charged her with the attempted murder which she tried while fleeing from an illegal custody in Afghanistan…
Sameea Raheel Qazi said it was cowardice of our leaders that they kneeled before the US and due to which Pakistan became a frontline state on the war on terror. She said it was owing to this cooperation in war on terror that our leaders handed over innocent Dr Aafia to the US. She said Pakistanis should have behaved like a nation if they wanted them to be recognised across the globe…
Ghazala Saad Rafique said Pakistanis were dead as a nation. She said even the Americans themselves differed with their leaders on the issue of drone attacks in Pakistani territory but it was rueful that we did not utter even a single word of protest against the attacks…
Aziz Ahmad Awan said Pakistani people were not completely dead as a nation and they would soon be on the roads for the release of Dr Aafia and all other missing persons. Dr Farooq Hasnat said the media and the civil society should pressurise the government on the issue but with logic and rationale. He said Dr Aafia had become a symbol of human rights violation in the world and her release should have been considered a challenge now…
Film Director Sangeeta said the entire nation should hold peaceful protests on the issue of the illegal imprisonment of Dr Aafia…
The programme was hosted by MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi and Shehzad Raoof assisted him.
full story here
