ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met with Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, the sister of Pakistani neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui who is jailed in the US, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to providing all possible legal and diplomatic support in the high-profile case, the PM’s Office said.

Siddiqui, a Pakistani national, is currently serving an 86-year prison sentence in the United States after being convicted in 2010 of attempted murder of US personnel in Afghanistan. Her trial and detention have long sparked public outcry in Pakistan, with successive governments under pressure to secure her repatriation.

“The government is in no way negligent in the matter of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui,” Sharif was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office after he met Fauzia and assured her that his administration would “continue to provide every possible legal and diplomatic assistance” in her sister’s case.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Sharif had earlier written a letter to then-US President Joe Biden to urge action in the matter. He has now also formed a special committee, chaired by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, to pursue further progress on the case.

“The committee will remain in contact with Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui and work to provide any necessary support,” the statement said.

In October 2024, Sharif wrote a letter to Biden calling for Siddiqui’s release and highlighting concerns about her treatment in prison. He also warned that her deteriorating physical and mental health could lead to self-harm.

This January, as he stepped down as US president, Biden rejected a petition seeking clemency for the jailed academic.

Siddiqui was arrested in July 2008 by Afghan police who said she was carrying two pounds (900 grams) of sodium cyanide and crumpled notes referring to mass casualty attacks and New York landmarks.

The day after her arrest, according to the indictment, Siddiqui grabbed an M-4 rifle in her interrogation room and started shooting while yelling “death to America,” the trial jury heard. No US agents or soldiers were hit, but Siddiqui was shot and wounded in response, according to US prosecutors. 

She was subsequently convicted in 2010 by a New York federal jury of attempted murder, armed assault and other charges. Siddiqui was never charged with links to terrorism.

Siddiqui’s family says she was visiting Pakistan in 2003 when she was abducted with her three children by Pakistani intelligence officials and handed to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which took her to Afghanistan. Pakistan’s intelligence agencies deny the claims.