ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote a letter to United States President Joe Biden earlier this month, according to a court hearing on Friday, seeking the release of a Pakistani national, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year prison sentence in the US on terrorism charges.
The information about the letter emerged after a state lawyer submitted the document, written last Sunday, during an Islamabad High Court hearing that had recently sought a detailed report on the extradition efforts made by Pakistani authorities.
Siddiqui, a US-trained neuroscientist, was convicted in 2010 on multiple charges, including attempting to kill US nationals. She became a suspect after leaving the US and marrying a nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Siddiqui was wounded during a confrontation with US officials in Afghanistan in 2008, with some reports suggesting she shot at the Americans.
“I am writing this letter to you, Mr. President, to seek your kind intervention in a matter that deserves to be viewed with compassion,” the prime minister said in his letter. “I am referring to the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui ... [who] is serving an eighty-six (86) year sentence, without the possibility of parole.”
Sharif noted that Siddiqui, now 52 years old, had spent approximately 16 years behind bars in the US.
He also emphasized that several Pakistani officials had made consular visits to her in prison, raising “serious concerns” about her treatment while incarcerated.
The prime minister said her time in prison had “severely impacted her already fragile mental and frail physical health,” adding: “In fact, they [the officials] even fear that she could take her own life.”
Pointing out that, as Pakistan’s prime minister, it was his duty to intervene when necessary to ensure the well-being of a citizen, Sharif sought clemency from President Biden for Siddiqui.
“Keeping these facts in view, I request you, Mr. President, to kindly exercise your constitutional authority and accept Dr. Siddiqui’s clemency petition and order her release, strictly on humanitarian grounds,” he said.
Siddiqui’s sister, Fauzia, has taken up her case in the media and has visited her in captivity in the US.
During the hearing, she urged the government to make every effort to bring her back to the country, as the court reviewed the details of how the Pakistani neuroscientist ended up in an American prison.
With input from AP
Pakistan PM urges President Biden to release Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from US prison
https://arab.news/js2zw
Pakistan PM urges President Biden to release Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from US prison
- Sharif’s letter to the US president, written last Sunday, was submitted to a Pakistani court by a state lawyer
- Sharif wants Biden to take a compassionate view of the situation, release Siddiqui ‘on humanitarian grounds’
Pakistan stocks recover as oil supply fears ease after Islamabad seeks Red Sea route— analyst
- Pakistan has sought Saudi help to secure oil supplies via Red Sea port after Iran’s closure of Strait if Hormuz
- Analyst says higher crude oil prices, expectations of IMF releasing next loan tranche also triggered bullish activity
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani stocks marked a sharp recovery when trading closed on Thursday, as institutional activity increased following Islamabad’s move to seek crude oil supplies through the Red Sea port eased oil supply fears, a financial analyst said.
Pakistani stocks have recorded a sharp decline this week, with the benchmark KSE-100 index recording its largest-ever single-day decline on Monday when it plunged 16,089 points. Escalating conflict in the Middle East triggered panic selling at the Pakistani bourse, forcing a temporary trading halt on Monday.
The KSE-100 index, however, gained 3.49 percent or 5,433.46 points to close at 161,210.67 when trading ended on Thursday, up from the previous close of 155,777.21 points, according to Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) data.
Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik met Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Wednesday to discuss Iran’s closure of the key Strait of Hormuz, which has threatened Pakistan’s energy supply. Roughly 20 percent of the global oil and gas supply passes through the route. Saudi Arabia indicated it could facilitate shipments through the Red Sea port of Yanbu, offering an alternative route if Gulf shipping lanes remain disrupted, the petroleum ministry said on Wednesday.
“Stocks staged a sharp recovery at PSX amid institutional activity on easing fuel supply fears after KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] commits oil supplies through the Red Sea port,” Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities, told Arab News.
He said higher global crude oil prices and expectations of the International Monetary Fund releasing its next tranche of the $7 billion loan for Pakistan also helped bullish activity at the PSX.
An IMF mission was in Pakistan to hold talks on the third review of a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility multi-year program, and for the second review of the $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility this week.
However, the delegation left for Türkiye amid tensions in the Gulf. Pakistani officials have said talks are likely to continue virtually in the coming days.
Pakistani brokerage Topline Securities said in its daily market review report that strong institutional buying “turned the tide” on Thursday after the market’s recent overreaction to regional issues.
The report added that Hub Power Company (HUBC), Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC), Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), Engro Corporation (ENGROH), and Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL) collectively contributed 2,197 points to the KSE benchmark’s gain.
Topline Securities said 723 million shares were traded on Thursday, with K-Electric Limited (KEL) stealing the spotlight as more than 1.17 billion shares changed hands.
Pakistani investors are closely monitoring developments in the Gulf, particularly around energy routes and further retaliatory actions, as the conflict’s trajectory remains uncertain.
