Human Rights and Civil Society Activists along with Dr Fowzia Siddiqui Celebrated Birthday of Dr. Aaifa Siddiqui at Karachi Press Club
Human rights activists celebrate Aafia birthday in 50 cities of Pakistan
Karachi, March 2: The birthday of the daughter of the nation, Dr Aafia Siddiqui was celebrated on Sunday in more than 50 cities and towns of Pakistan; however, the children of Aafia refused to slice the birthday cake at Karachi Press Club (KPC), saying they would celebrate the birthday of their mother when she is freed and among them.
Gathering and programs were held in more than 50 cities and towns of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Sukkur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bannu, Hangu, Kohat, Sialkot, Gujrat and Sahiwal to celebrate the birthday of Aafia Siddiqui as a ‘day of renewal of pledge for freedom of Aafia’. Human rights activists, civil society members, lawyers, students, political and social workers, students and people belonging to different walks of life sliced the birthday cakes at local press clubs, offices, homes, street corners and public places. Flowers were put at the portraits of Aaifa. Such events were also arranged aboard by the human rights workers.
In Karachi a big gathering was held in front of Karachi Press Club, where civil society members sliced the birthday cake inside a big symbolic iron cage placed there. They also showered rose petals on the portrait of the Pakistani mother.
Aafia Movement leader Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, speaking on the occasion, said today the Aafia Movement has gone global and it would continue till the repatriation of Aafia. She said they had not given any call to celebrate the birthday of Dr Siddiqui, but people arranged such gatherings in their towns and cities on voluntarily basis, which shows that Aafia lives in the hearts of people. She said students and teachers would also slice the birthday cakes in their educational institutions on Monday (tomorrow).
She said Aafia Siddiqui has completed 11 long years in captivity. She said her kidnapping, detention, torture, solitary confinement, and deprivation of sunlight and snatching of her copy of holy Quran and prayer rug is a long story of violations of human rights. She said today thousands of people from different parts of the country and abroad have contacted and expressed solidarity with the Pakistani mother. She said today a big movement has begun and it would spread to every nook and corner of Pakistan and also in other countries and Inshallah soon result into the freedom of innocent Aafia.