On Wednesday, in an emotional, but restrained meeting, Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani national held in US custody, was reunited with her sister, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui. This interaction, as reported by Express News, marked their first contact in nearly two decades.
The reunion occurred at the Federal Medical Center in Carswell, Fort Worth, Texas. The sisters were able to communicate for over two hours, though a glass partition kept them physically separated. During this time, Dr Aafia Siddiqui conveyed the nature of her treatment by the American authorities to her sister.
Despite being forbidden by US officials to share pictures, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui updated her sister about the lives of her children. At the time of Dr Aafia’s arrest, her son was just six months old. Today, he is a grown man, and her daughter has embarked on a career in medicine, following in her mother’s footsteps.
Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, along with Senator Mushtaq and US attorney Clive Smith, are actively pursuing Dr Aafia’s release. Further discussions on potential strategies for Dr Aafia’s liberation are scheduled for today.
Dr Aafia Siddiqui is presently receiving treatment at a federal medical prison located in Texas, a facility that offers specialized medical and mental health services to female inmates. The Pakistani national was sentenced to 86 years in prison by a New York federal court in 2010 for attempted murder and other charges.
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On May 8, the Islamabad High Court was notified that Dr Fauzia Siddiqui had received a US visa, permitting her to visit her sister in prison. This development was shared with the court by Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Dogar during a hearing about Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s potential release.
The court has ordered that an independent psychiatric evaluation for Dr Aafia Siddiqui be arranged by the government. Moreover, it emphasized the necessity of sharing all pertinent documents and case-related information with her attorney, Clive Smith, while ensuring this data is exclusively used for the purposes of this case.
