Dr Aafia’s lawyer criticises FM Ishaq Dar’s remarks on ‘due process’

The case of Pakistani neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui has recently resurfaced in public debate as her family and legal team continue their efforts to secure her release from a US prison, where she is serving an 86-year sentence. Siddiqui was convicted by a US federal court in 2010 for allegedly attempting to shoot American soldiers in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar recently stirred controversy by drawing a comparison between Siddiqui’s imprisonment and that of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. While commenting on the matter, Dar stated that Aafia Siddiqui’s trial in the US followed “due process,” suggesting that her trial and subsequent sentencing were fair. His remarks sparked backlash from social media users and Siddiqui’s legal team.

Clive Stafford Smith, a renowned human rights lawyer representing Dr Aafia, strongly rejected Dar’s statement. “Sorry, but this is idiotic! ‘Due process’ does not mean a trial where Aafia had no witnesses, where lies were told, and the evidence was false. That’s called a miscarriage of justice, not due process,” he said.

Another human rights advocate working on Dr Aafia’s case also denounced the minister’s remarks. She said that Siddiqui was kidnapped by US forces in 2003 and subjected to extreme torture, including sexual abuse, during her incarceration. The advocate further emphasized that the evidence used to convict Siddiqui for the attempted murder of US officials was not credible. She added that new evidence, previously inaccessible, has recently been uncovered by her lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith.

Read more: FM Dar says Dr Aafia Siddiqui jailed after ‘due process’

According to the US prosecution, Siddiqui was accused of snatching a rifle and opening fire at US soldiers while hiding behind a curtain in a house in Ghazni, Afghanistan. She was shot in the abdomen during the incident. However, Siddiqui has maintained that she was trying to flee the room out of fear of being transferred to a secret prison when she was shot by the US military personnel.

“He saw me and he got scared. He said, 'she's free' or 'she's loose,'” she said

Her lawyers argue that Siddiqui used the weapon in a disoriented state and that her actions had no connection to terrorism.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui disappeared from Karachi in March 2003. She was reportedly arrested by Afghan police in July 2008, allegedly in possession of chemical substances and handwritten notes about an attack on New York that could cause mass casualties.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui disappeared from Karachi in March 2003. She was reportedly arrested by Afghan police in July 2008, allegedly in possession of chemical substances and handwritten notes about an attack on New York that could cause mass casualties.

'Govt not negligent in Dr Aafia's matter:' PM Shehbaz to Dr Fowzia

Leaked Guantanamo Bay files, published by The Guardian in 2011, accused Siddiqui of attempting to develop biological weapons for a terrorist organisation. However, these allegations have not been independently verified and are suspected to have been extracted under torture from detained senior operatives of the terrorist organisation.

In October 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote to then-US President Joe Biden requesting a presidential pardon for Dr Aafia. However, in January 2025, Biden rejected the clemency petition.

The Islamabad High Court is currently hearing a case concerning Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s release and repatriation. On July 25, Prime Minister Shehbaz assured Dr Aafia’s sister, Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, of the government’s continued support for her release.