ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) chief justice on Monday asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to determine at first whether Dr Aafia Siddiqui was kidnapped from Pakistan or she had been living abroad?

Barrister Muhammad Iqbal Jafree, while pleading the case of Dr Aafia, said: “It seems that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not submitted its reply before the court as per direction, because I have yet to receive the copy of that reply.î ìI have written several letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that it did not reply,” Jafree said.

Director American desk Mansoor Ahmad said that it was not necessary for the ministry to reply to the letters written in individual capacity. Barrister Jafree said that it appeared that the government had not submitted a written request for the extradition of Dr Aafia and still there was a verbal discussion going on. Upon which the director American desk told the court that they had written a letter to the US government.

Deputy Attorney General Amjad Iqbal Qureshi told the court that they would submit a reply in this case within one week. Additional Secretary Interior Shahidullah Baig was also present in the court. The court adjourned the hearing of the case till October 15. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing in the case of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan for alleged violation of the court orders by the government, not permitting him to see anybody while restraining him within his house. The DAG told the court that he was not prepared in this case and sought one-week time.
Source: The News
Date:10/7/2008