IHC bench for Dr Aafia case dissolves after judge’s recusal

WEB DESK: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench formed to hear a petition for the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui was dissolved on Monday after Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas recused himself, recommending that a larger bench take up the case. Dr Aafia Siddiqui, convicted in 2010 by a New York federal jury of attempted murder and assault on US personnel in Afghanistan, is serving an 86-year sentence in the United States. Her imprisonment has long sparked outrage in Pakistan, where successive governments have faced pressure to secure her repatriation.

The petition, filed by Siddiqui’s sister, Dr Fowzia, was earlier reassigned from Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan to Justice Minhas after Justice Khan issued contempt notices to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his cabinet for failing to comply with earlier court directives. At the latest hearing, Dr Siddiqui’s counsel, Imran Shafiq, told the court the matter had become increasingly complicated. Justice Minhas then observed that the question of whether the “Master of Roster” was the chief justice required clarification, and referred the case to a larger bench. Proceedings were adjourned indefinitely.

Govt refuses to become party in Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s case

The development occurred weeks after Prime Minister Sharif met Dr Fowzia, assuring her of continued legal and diplomatic support. Siddiqui’s case resurfaced in January when former US President Joe Biden rejected a clemency request submitted by her lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith. Last October, PM Sharif had also appealed to Washington, citing her declining mental and physical health.

FO reaches out to AGP for legal guidance on Dr Aafia Siddiqui case

According to US prosecutors, Siddiqui was arrested in Afghanistan in 2008 and later allegedly opened fire on American personnel with an M-4 rifle while shouting anti-US slogans. She was wounded in the exchange and convicted in 2010, though she was never charged with terrorism links. Her family disputes the case, claiming she was abducted from Pakistan in 2003 and handed to the CIA, an allegation denied by Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Read next: Lahore: Baby abducted from General Hospital nursery