Civil society throngs in 100 Pakistani cities: Democracy agenda not complete till Aafia release: speakers
Karachi, March 30: The sitting government had pledged with their voters to free Dr Aafia Siddiqui from the American detention; however, solid efforts in this regard are yet to be taken on the government level. In Pakistan the agenda of democracy would remain incomplete till innocent Aafia is released and repatriated, said speakers of a big solidarity rally and public signature campaign at Two-Sword roundabout in Karachi on Sunday, March 30, to express solidarity with the Pakistani mother on completion of her 11 years in detention. Besides Karachi such solidarity programs were also held in more than 100 other Pakistani cities and 15 countries abroad.
Long eleven years back the Pakistani woman scientist and top-notch educationalist was abducted along with her children from a Karachi street and trafficked abroad. Since then she has been languishing in American detention and the demands of human rights activists from whole world for her release and repatriation have so far fallen on the deaf ears. The kidnapping, trafficking, torture and illegal detention of Aafia and her children is the blemish on the face of modern justice system. The Aafia case has exposed the double standards of the Western world on human rights and women rights. It is a painful chapter of the history showing naked bias and discrimination towards a Pakistani and Muslim woman, said the speakers who thronged to Clifton on the appeal of Aafia Movement.
In Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad,Sargodha, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Miurpurkhas,Kohat, Mardan, Sawabi, Sukkur, Badin, Sheikhupura,Sialkot, Loralai, Pishin, Muslim Bagh, Kharian, LalaMoosa, Hangu, Gurjat, Sahiwal,Thatta, ShahpurChackar, Tando Adam, Mehar and other cities a large number of civil society members gathered and raised a strong voice for early release of Aafia. They asked the government of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to play its due role on diplomatic, legal and other available platforms to resolve this issue related to basic human rights of a Pakistani citizen. They appealed to the women and children rights organization of the world to take notice of atrocities being meted out to Dr Aafia. They reminded that a minor son of Aafia Siddiqui, who was also trafficked along with her 11 years back, is still missing.
In Islamabad a big protest demo was held in front of Press Club by Aafia Movement activists. Dr Fowzia Siddiqui in a message read out on the occasion said the whole nation is concerned about the inordinate delay in release of Aafia and want to ask from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that what happened of his promise of bringing home Dr Aafia within 100 days. She said Mian Sahib had said that Mariam daughter of Aafia is like his own daughter Mariam Nawaz. She said 11 years of Aafia in detention depicts the picture of insensitiveness of apathy of the government. She said now the demand of Aafia release has become an international movement and with every passing day its message is getting stronger.
Peace activists also gathered in 15 different countries of the world including the United States of America, United Kingdom, South Africa and Turkey and demanded release of Aafia. A demo was also held in front of Federal Medical Center, Carswell (FMC Carswell) jail in Texas, where Aafia is presently jailed. The speakers said the release and repatriation of Aafia would not only meet and long neglected demand of justice and equity, but also help further the cause of American diplomacy and the Muslim world and help in better people-to-people of American and Muslim people.
In Karachi, at the central gathering of Two-Sword Clifton a large number of people including women and children signed a 10-meter long banner to show solidarity with Aafia Siddiqui. Carrying portraits of Aafia and placards they also raised slogans demanding release of Aafia and recovery of her missing son.
The speakers included Pakistan TehrikInsaf (PTI)Youth Wing President AwabAlivi and Ashraf Qureshi, PTI Women Wing President NaziaRabbani and Vice President RahilaFarooqi, MPA of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Irfanullah Khan Marwat, PML-N Sindh leaders Saleem Zia and NihalHashmi, PML-N Youth WingleadersJamshedTareen andAslamKhattak, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leaders Karachi amir Hafiz Naimur Rehman, Mohammad Hussein Mahenti, YounusBarai, JI Women Wing leaderAfshanNaveed, Sunni Tehreek general secretary Faheemuddin Sheikh, Abdul Waheed Advocate of Islamic Lawyers Movement, MQM leader HaiderAbbassRizvi and Rabita Committee members, Atiq Mir of Karachi TajirIttehad, Aftabuddin Qureshi of Pakistan Engineering Council, Shakil Ahmed Shaikh of Pasban, ShamimKazmi of Women Business and Professional Forum and others
Issued by: Aafia Movement Pakistan
