Don’t Blame the Victim – Detailed analysis of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s case

I share with you a detailed report published on the People’s Resistance mailing list analyzing the abduction of Dr. Aafia Siddqui and her ongoing trial in the US Courts. Please take time to read the report and if you agree with the contents then it would be a great help if you can join in the effort to spread the word far and wide to get more support for her.

Download the PDF Version
[download#6]

Case study

On March 30, 2003, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui disappeared from Karachi along with her three minor children. Media reported that she had been taken by the US authorities with compliance of Pakistani authorities since the FBI had wanted to seek some information from her. In the face of general outcry, the US and Pakistani authorities quickly backtracked but then a year later Pakistani Foreign Office admitted publicly that Aafia had been handed over to the US.1

She became a concern for human rights organizations including Amnesty International who kept the case alive for five years. On July 6, 2008, political party Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf presented a British journalist in Islamabad who said there was reason to believe that Aafia was the “Prisoner 650” at Bagram (Afghanistan) and had undergone brutal rape and torture for five years. Outcry reaches a high water mark and urgent appeals were sent by Asian Human Rights Commission on July 22, to President George Bush and other persons of authority.

On August 4, the US authorities officially admitted of having Aafia in their custody but the US Department of Justice brought forth a charge sheet against her, claiming that she was arrested on July 17 (and not before) while loitering around near the residence of Ghazni’s Governor. They alleged that papers found in her handbag included instructions on making bombs and notes about installations in US.

They explained her wounds by saying that a day after her arrest she took an M4 rife which belonged to US military personnel and fired two rounds at close range, which missed, and she had to be shot in the torso.

On August 16, the US envoy to Pakistan made a public statement saying that the US had no “definitive knowledge” of the whereabouts of Aafia’s children but only a few days later the Afghan authorities revealed that an 11-year-old boy had also been “arrested” with Aafia and this boy was then repatriated to be received by Aafia’s family as her eldest son.

The story narrated about this alleged episode is not plausible, and contradictions self-evident. Yet Aafia has been suffering pain and humiliation in US prison for more than two months now. There are fears that she is now being brainwashed in order to render her incapable of giving evidence against any atrocities that might have been committed against her.

Three anomalies in the trial

Basically: (a) victim has become the accused; (b) allegations are not being addressed in proper order; and (c) allegations against US authorities by human rights groups and concerned citizens are going un-addressed.

Victim has become the accused

Those who say that they hope to get justice from US legal system in this case are overlooking the fact that the trial is not being held to provide justice to Aafia. It is being held against her.2

Allegations not addressed in proper order

The case involves three allegations, not one. These need to be addressed in the order in which they appeared:

  1. The FBI’s declaration that it needed Dr. Aafia Siddiqui for interrogation (2003)

  2. Allegations allegation raised by human rights organizations and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf that Aafia Siddiqui was being illegally detained, raped and tortured by US authorities (with possible compliance of Pakistani authorities) for five years, and that her three minor children were in illegal detention. July 6, 2008 is the high water mark for this allegation.

  3. Allegation raised by US authorities against Dr. Aafia Siddiqui that she tried to assassinate US army personnel on July 18, 2008. This allegation was brought forth on August 4, 2008.

The first of these has not been legally pursued by authorities even after they admitted having custody of Aafia. Hence it may be considered as dropped.

The second allegation, which is against US authorities, has never been answered seriously except for a flat rebuttal in inappropriate and condescending tone (consider the US envoy’s open letter of August 16).

Now the third allegation is being addressed in a court of law without addressing the second.3 This leads to great confusion. The victim has been given into the custody of the party accused of committing offenses against her, and mandate is given to them to further curtail her liberties as a “high security risk”.

Let’s understand: it’s not as if US Government said that it would rather like to keep Aafia in a rehabilitation center in America for treatment of torments suffered by her during five-year-long illegal detention. The victim is now in custody of the party accused of committing the following atrocities against her:

  1. Abduction and illegal detention of the victim

  2. Abduction and illegal detention of the victim’s minor children

  3. Attempt of coercing the victim to sign false evidence

  4. Threatening the victim with murder of her children

  5. Sexual abuse, rape and torture

  6. Attempted brainwashing

  7. Possibly, murder of two of the victim’s minor children

The first step should have been to ensure that the party accused of committing these offenses didn’t have any further access to her with malevolent intent. The opposite has happened.

Aafia’s transfer from military to civil authorities doesn’t ensure that her abusers have lost influence: responding to journalists’ question about why they didn’t seek bail for Aafia, her lawyer answered, “There’s more in this case than meets the eye.”

What’s going wrong now

Following incidents which can be seen as injustice or malpractice have occurred after August 6, when Aafia was first presented in New York:

  1. Victim was remanded on implausible charges4

  2. Bail was not even sought by her lawyers5

  3. US envoy gave a questionable statement about victim’s children6

  4. It’s possible that the victim’s eldest son was brainwashed before being handed over by Afghan authorities7

  5. Motion to establish the victim as mentally unfit to stand trial, if accepted, will disqualify her from giving evidence later against her abusers

  6. At Carswell, the victim can be at risk of being brainwashed or rendered incapable of providing evidence

Two children of the victim are still missing. If they are still alive then it is possible that they are being used as hostages to pressurize her. Allegations of her illegal detention, rape, etc, and the abduction of her children, is going unaddressed.

Can she get justice from US legal system?

That question will arise only after a case is brought up to seek justice for her. The current trial has been registered against the victim and not against her abusers.

Unfounded speculation is bad but some speculation is required for arriving anywhere in legal matters. Here we are forced to choose between two options: either the story about Aafia’s alleged arrest and shooting as told by the DOJ is true, or it is false.

The story is not likely to be true. Consider this passage from rejoinder to US envoy’s letter by Kamran Shafi, journalist and former trainer in small arms:

By the way Excellency, if you care to notice, Aafia Siddiqui is about your build and dimensions. May I suggest you get one of your Marines at the embassy to bring you a US army-issue M4 rifle. Now ask him to clear the chamber, affix the magazine, put the rifle on ‘safe’, and place it on the ground which would be the exact position in which Aafia Siddiqui found hers and with which she is alleged to have fired upon the US officer. You may very well fail to even cock it in 10 seconds, let alone find the safety catch, lift the rifle to your shoulder and fire it.8

It seems as if the US authorities knew that this story won’t stand a test in the court and their real strategy was to buy time for declaring Aafia mentally unfit or perhaps even to induce mental disorder while in custody.

Such speculation sounds harsh but once the DOJ story is rejected there is no way we can pass over it as an “honest mistake”. If the story is false then obviously we aredealing with an unusually ugly and disturbing cover-up of enormous dimensions.

We must not forget the three other victims in this case: Aafia’s minor children. The first is Ahmad Siddiqui, 11-year-old, and the anomalies in his case raise suspicions of a three-step approach to cover up brainwashing in captivity.9 First, deny having any “definitive knowledge” of the captive’s whereabouts. Second, admit that he was in detention even at the time of those denials. Third, send him home in mentally unstable state where he cannot recall details about captivity. There is a stark analogy between his fate and the contradictory reports now coming out about her mother: is she at step 2 now, undergoing brainwashing?

By the authorities’ own admission Ahmad’s detention at least from July 17 to August 22 was irregular: it was covered up despite urgent appeals from around the world.

The second victim is Aafia’s daughter Mariam, 10 years old (5 at the time of her disappearance), and the third is the youngest son Salman, 5 years old (six months at the time of his disappearance). Authorities deny having “definitive knowledge” of his whereabouts too.

It may be remembered that capture of minor children and infants for pressurizing their parents was described by Pakistan’s former president Pervez Muharraf as fair tactic while participating in American War Against Terror.10

What needs to be done

We need to be absolutely clear that the real issue here is the second set of allegations in which Aafia is victim, not accused.

By remaining silent on that issue now, the whole world is allowing a victim to become accused. Since this has already become one of the most famous trials of the new century, a bad precedent in this matter is likely to affect the future of human rights for very long time and almost everywhere in the world. Time is of essence here, because it seems as if evidence is being destroyed very fast.

The following steps may need to be taken without losing any further time:

  1. Human rights groups in US should file petition in a US court to the effect that Aafia’s trial is unfair and should be dismissed. It needs to be dismissed immediately, and in any case latest by November 7, i.e. forty days before the date which has been set for hearing whether or not Aafia is mentally fit to stand trial: there is reason to suspect that some foul play is going on which is likely to accomplish its ends by that date and evidence related to actual culprits will have been destroyed, possibly including memory of the victim herself.

  2. Separately, a complaint should be lodged against culprits who victimized Aafia earlier, and a plea should be made for the recovery of her two missing children.

  3. All peaceful and healthy means should be used for educating people in as many countries as possible about the AAFIA issue – especially the message that a victim should not be victimized and the meaning of justice should not be distorted.11

  4. Concerned citizens of the world need to explore whether there is a proper channel for taking up this issue beyond slogans, protests and demonstrations. If no such channel exists then it needs to be created.

  5. If any rights group decides to make a separate committee for pursuing this case, then that committee should also look into the wider implications and related issues, and hence “AAFIA” might be a good acronym for “Affirmative Action for the Freedom and Independence of All” (Aafia literally means comprehensive safety). Fresh grounds need to be broken for safeguarding human rights in these new times.

United Nations was a giant step towards peace, but what about “united humanity”? We need to alter certain perceptions now and we need to set new precedents.

Consequences for everyone

Terrorism is a serious threat which should not be trivialized the way it has been through the victimization of Aafia Siddiqui and her minor children. Genuine efforts being made against terrorism will also earn a bad name, if not fall flat on their face, if moral superiority is lost – and it will be lost if injustice in the case of Aafia Siddiqui completes its course.

The case is so complex, and its details so gruesome, that many still may not have realized what the possible outcome of her mistreatment might turn out to be. The analysis offered here may not be how everyone is seeing things now but it is likely to be how these things will be seen in times to come, as the truth gradually seeps into people’s conscience.

Then a great setback for human rights may be suffered because in our times such rights rest on the premise that people are entities who should be respected, their humanity cannot be usurped by any government and a person cannot be objectified before the mystique of state. Losing this one case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui can mean losing the very premise of human rights, and losing it in bright limelight.12

It is not just about Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, but rather ironically, it is also about what her first name means literally in her native language: comprehensive safety. She is a highly educated woman who made it to the upper strata of middle class in two societies – Pakistan and US. What happened to her can happen to anyone, and it may happen more easily in future if bad precedent is set now.

For America, it is a moment of truth. The international community has been hearing so much about the “deposed” Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry, who used to take suo moto action on such cases, forcing his government and its much-dread intelligence agencies to become answerable to the court. For that he risked his job, personal freedom and the future of his children. Global observers are likely to notice that no judge in US seems to be as willing to take suo moto action in this case as Justice Chaudhry of Pakistan would have been even if such thing had been found in his jurisdiction. Tables are turning: at the going rate it might not be very long before US finds itself lagging behind developing countries in matters of awareness about human rights among the masses. For its own good, US ought to revise its take on this case.


REFERENCES

1 Her children were not mentioned by FO, but President Musharraf later dropped hint in his autobiography that “arresting” minors and even infant children of accused was part of tactics being used in the US War Against Terror.

2 In the case of rape, the term “victim” is applied to the aggrieved party even before her case is proven true in a court.

3 I am presuming that the first allegation has already been dropped by the party which raised it, so we need not address it anymore. In all fairness, we should be open to give it due importance, with proper attention to the whole context, in case the first party (i.e. the FBI) chooses to bring it back in the future.

4 Charge sheet against Aafia was implausible and inaccuracies could have been exposed through a simple simulation/demonstration. Yet the American judge gave remand of her person instead of sending her to a hospital as she deserved in view of her condition (she was still bleeding from bullet wounds)

5 Why should seeking bail be so difficult in a case where the accusation doesn’t pass the test of common sense, let alone legal proceeding? More importantly, why was bail not even sought?

6 On August 16, the US envoy to Pakistan stated publicly that the US authorities have no definitive knowledge of the whereabouts of Aafia’s children. About ten days later the Afghan authorities stated that they had also “arrested” a boy along with Aafia. One could smell a rat here: a person of such prominence as US envoy is unlikely to risk a misleading statement unless the stakes are really high.

7 Aafia’s son, finally repatriated by Afghan authorities, cannot recall much and is having nightmares. Did the authorities deny knowledge of his whereabouts initially because at that time they were brainwashing him and were still unsure that it would work?

8 Published in Dawn (Karachi) on October 14. Earlier on September 10, Joane Mariner, an attorney with Human Rights Watch in New York wrote in Counterpunch, “If you trust the US story, you have to imagine that… more than the al Qaeda mom, as the New York Post dubs her, she would have to be al Qaeda’s Angelina Jolie.”

9 The word “definitive knowledge” in US envoy’s statement leaves an uncomfortable impression of preparing for a future moment when it may turn out to be otherwise and then it could be said that the knowledge which the US authorities had in this matter was not “definitive” but of some other sort (The statement said, “The United States has no definitive knowledge as to the whereabouts of Ms Siddiqui’s children”). Was Ahmad being subjected to brainwashing so that his detention could not be revealed till making sure that the process had been successful?

10 In the Line of Fire: A Memoir by Pervez Musharraf published in 2006 by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, p.224.

11 In Pakistan and Islamic countries this case study can be specially useful: given the peculiar nature of this case, the masses are likely to accept the message and apply it to other injustices against the weak.

12 In Pakistan, even now the HRCP might be facing a crisis about its credibility with the masses, who generally feel that the HRCP has done less than what was expected of it in this regards.

Download the PDF Version
[download#6]

Comments

37 responses to “Don’t Blame the Victim – Detailed analysis of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s case”

  1. saima Avatar
    saima

    unbelievably horrendous!

  2. Lady M.B.B.S. Avatar
    Lady M.B.B.S.

    Just what i am thinking,

    “FBI had wanted to seek some information from her”
    WHY PARTICULARLY FROM HER??AND WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION???
    AND WHAT ABOUT THE LITTLE ONES??WERE THEY TRYING TO SEEK SOME INFORMATION FROM THEM AS WELL?

    she was arrested on July 17 (and not before) while “loitering” around near the residence of Ghazni’s Governor.
    WHAT A JOKE!I THINK PAKISTANI FEMALES ARE NOT FOND OF LOITERING,

    “”She took an M4 rife which belonged to US military personnel and fired two rounds at close range, which missed, and she had to be shot in the torso””.
    COULDN’T THEY COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER!

    “”It may be remembered that capture of minor children and infants for pressurizing their parents was described by Pakistan’s former president Pervez Muharraf as fair tactic while participating in American War Against Terror””.
    ANOTHER 9/11 ?????

    United Nations was a giant step towards peace, but what about “united humanity”? We need to alter certain perceptions now and we need to set new precedents.
    AGREE!100%

    “”Genuine efforts being made against terrorism will also earn a bad name, if not fall flat on their face, if moral superiority is lost – and it will be lost if injustice in the case of Aafia Siddiqui completes its course.””
    I THINK THEY HAVE ALREADY FALLEN FLAT.

    “”What happened to her can happen to anyone, and it may happen more easily in future if bad precedent is set now””.
    YES,AMERICA(NOT AMERICANS)SHOULD KEEP THIS IN MIND AS WELL,

    “” Tables are turning””: at the going rate it might not be very long before US finds itself lagging behind developing countries in matters of awareness about human rights among the masses.

    I HAVE ALREADY TURNED MINE AFTER READING THIS CASE!!!!!!!!

  3. JURISPRUDENCE EXPERT Avatar
    JURISPRUDENCE EXPERT

    The victim is now in custody of the party accused of committing the following atrocities against her:

    Abduction and illegal detention of the victim

    Abduction and illegal detention of the victim’s minor children

    Attempt of coercing the victim to sign false evidence

    Threatening the victim with murder of her children

    Sexual abuse, rape and torture

    Attempted brainwashing

    Possibly, murder of two of the victim’s minor children

    “THIS IS A CLEAR CUT CASE OF FORENSIC MEDICINE”
    SO WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?

  4. Muhammad Abid Avatar

    This is the great site for DR. AAFIA because all the News,Events,Biography of Dr Aafia and other information about DR. AAFIA

    This site is very Good

    I like it
    Please visit
    http://www.draafia.org

  5. guYasir Avatar
    guYasir

    India has launched its rocket on moon in order to gain Helium to curb india future electricity/energy demands as the earth’s fossil fuels dry up in the coming decades, scientists say http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200411/s1252715.htm
    While we Pakies are crying for bijli, roti, kaapra aur maakan and as well as missing persons esp Aafia.
    If Ifthikhar wud be on his seat then she and other missing persons wud’ve been get back home.
    Ch was going to open cases of those missing persons who were handover to US by Mush thats why mush purged him on US-demands.
    Is usa our freind or fiend???

  6. guYasir Avatar
    guYasir

    Is USA our friend or fiend?

  7. Barrister Ali K.Chishti Avatar
    Barrister Ali K.Chishti

    I personally think that Dr.Afia was on something “dodgy” but handing her over to the US was equally atrocious. She should have been trailed inside Pakistan and imprisoned for life.

  8. Lady M.B.B.S. Avatar
    Lady M.B.B.S.

    @Barrister Ali K.Chishti
    personally think that Dr.Afia was on something “dodgy”

    Why you are saying so?I am really curious.
    Is this reality or just your personel opinion?

  9. Barrister Ali K.Chishti Avatar
    Barrister Ali K.Chishti

    Dr.Sabihba (Fauzia) was picked up by a Pakistani agency (which can not be named) instead of FBI or Afghan KHAD.

    It’s a known fact that this woman was handling the finances for Al-Queda where she traveled to Liberia to cash diamonds and send money to the various sleeper cells in Western countries. She’s still a fanatic who had been part of Al-Queda without a doubt – her life cycle and her past activities is a proof of it. Obviously, finding evidence is not my job. I had learned that she had also known whereabouts of Sheikh Omer Muhammad (who was arrested before) and the whereabouts of Muhammad Ali – the Al-Queda’s Chartered Accountant.

    I do not have sympathy for her; for me she’s a “terrorist” and should be gotten rid off but I would like her to be produced in Pakistani courts instead of foreign courts to help us understand the working of religious fanatics in Pakistan.

    My question is would Pakistani Senators have traveled to the US had she been a “he” instead of a “she”? I do not think so and for that reason alone she’s dangerous. Sorry to sound cold-hearted but anyone who compromises nationality security – be it a man, woman or a child should be “hanged”. We have the courts to decide – of course!

  10. guYasir Avatar
    guYasir

    Chishti sb wat about her hubby where’s he? we dont much listen about her hubby in media.
    I think that her hubby was involved in her captured or to the contrary her hubby had a link with Al-qeada and he dragged his wife too and keep her as a mohra and later let her kidnapped. He’s KHAN
    isn’t he? plz share her hubby info.

  11. Barrister Ali K.Chishti Avatar
    Barrister Ali K.Chishti

    Great! my posts got deleted so much for the freedom of expression 🙂

  12. QaimKhani Avatar
    QaimKhani

    Lady MBBS,

    Don’t take barrister Chishtie seriously. He is a MQM fundoo. and you know lately Peer Kallan has been talking all about Taliban. So his point comes from that “dark” heart which hasn’t seen light for ages.

    Well, if this was the *wife* of Farooq Data, (MQM’s dahshatgard), he would have been writing all the praises for that women.

    If you want to make sure about BarristerAKC, check out Karachi Metroblogs, where the curtain of his civility and his values is often on the ground.

  13. Abidi Avatar
    Abidi

    Barrister Ali Chishti,

    Are you volunteering or getting paid for your services?

    Keep up your work, otherwise family of Meer Jafar and Meer Sadiq would die of hunger.

  14. Lady M.B.B.S. Avatar
    Lady M.B.B.S.

    @QaimKhani

    Thank you

  15. Lady M.B.B.S. Avatar
    Lady M.B.B.S.

    And yes i hate MQM,not only me in fact “every Pakistani” hates them.

    No doubt,MQM is also a case of Forensic medicine:)

  16. Barrister Ali K.Chishti Avatar
    Barrister Ali K.Chishti


    hum ko un say hai tameez ki umeed
    jo nahin jantai ke tameez kya hai

    I would reserve my comments and continue on the real topic.

    Ammar Al Balochi is Afia’s second husband whose also closely related to Sheikh Khalid Muhammad and Yousaf Ramzi – the planner and executionist of 9/11. Ammar Balochi is rottening in Guantanamo Bay prorably cursing his god-fathers. The guy with his wife, Mrs.Afia Ammar Balochi aka Mrs.Afia Siddiqui cabled cash to the executioners of 9/11 from UAE and Liberia to Germany ( Hamburg Cell), San Diago Cell and Florida.

  17. Abidi Avatar
    Abidi

    Barrister,

    If your story had any truth, the victim wouldn’t have to be tortured for 5 years to be proved guilty.

    and then your connection with MQM proves how reliable your story is.

  18. Abidi Avatar
    Abidi

    Barrister,

    Besides MQM was one of the beneficiary of the $$$$$$ MUSH got in return for selling this lady.

    So I can understand why you would justify her being sold.

  19. guYasir Avatar
    guYasir

    I also hate MQM like a lady esp Altaf decision to chose Z for presidency.pk. He was the one who gave 1st call for his presidency and he was vocal against Kala bagh dam which cost us heavy load-shedding and we’re unable to cater it and won’t be and how cum? when india is not givin pak its water full quota.
    Water-Wars are expecting btw india and pak in 2012.
    Lady can ya tell me whether Altaf Hussien is shia or not?

  20. Lady M.B.B.S. Avatar
    Lady M.B.B.S.

    @guYasir

    If you are asking me,I just dont know,
    And in fact i avoid Shia/Sunni chakkar…

    Altaf Hussain is a CRIMINAL and crimal is always a criminal,irrespective of his religion or sect.

  21. Lady M.B.B.S. Avatar
    Lady M.B.B.S.

    @Barrister Ali K.Chishti

    hum ko un say hai tameez ki umeed
    jo nahin jantai ke tameez kya hai

    HAM KO UN SE HAI INSAF KI UMEED
    JO NAHIN JANTAI KE INSAF KIA HAI

  22. madman Avatar
    madman

    @ guYasir, what does MQM, Altaf Hussein, or Sunni/Shia have to do with this discussion? Why must we always highlight the divisions between ourselves along these ethnic and religious lines? Is the Pakistani identity so weak that it can’t even overcome trivial distinctions like where your grandfather was born and whether he observed Ashura? Jeez people, our neighbor, who we love to rip on at every turn, is literally shooting for the moon, while we blindly continue to be held hostage by the philosophy of old geezers who can’t even see the blasted thing! We may be in different boats buddy, but we’re all getting flushed down the same toilet. Wake up now or simply accept your confinement to the bottom rung of humanity.

  23. Barrister Ali K.Chishti Avatar
    Barrister Ali K.Chishti

    I encourage you to concentrate your energies on the important issues affecting Pakistan – disunity, nosediving economy, rampant terrorism, and erosion of self-confidence.

    Yes, I have supported rights for Urdu speaking Pakistanis and repatriation of “stranded Biharis” from Bangladesh. I still consider these to be important issues, but in light of the more urgent and insidious problems gnawing at the fabric of Pakistan, I suggest that we place ethnic, provincial, linguistic, sectarian, class, gender, and religious diversions on the back burners. While these problems persist in Pakistan, they are often exploited by foreign manipulators and their willing Pakistani agents to further divide and demoralize our nation.

    I request all my Pakistani brethren and cistern – Punjabis, Sindhis, Pathans, Baluchis, Kashmiris, and Mohajirs to unite against those who want to hurt all of us. Our salvation is in unity and in Pakistan’s survival and progress.

    Pakistan Zindabad.

  24. Lady M.B.B.S. Avatar
    Lady M.B.B.S.

    @ Barrister Ali K.Chishti Sahab

    Lets come to the main topic of discussion
    If your story is the REAL ONE then it should have been published on the People’s Resistance mailing list.

    THERE IS A GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE TWO STORIES,great controversy indeed!

  25. Barrister Ali K.Chishti Avatar
    Barrister Ali K.Chishti

    Bibi, The main reason is that Pakistani governments are not sincere with Pakistani citizens. Information is not shared, disinformation is not credibly refuted, irrational and seemingly illogical and often self-contradicting policies are allowed to fester. The whole confusion about Dr.Afia Siddiqui is justified by the obvious fact that almost everything in Pakistan is confusing, every act is a conspiracy, and nobody seems sincere.

    1- It’s a established fact that Ammar Al Balochi is Dr.Afia’s second husband and her activities from 1999-2004 had been of great concern.
    2- On principal, I will repeat that Afia should be handed over to Pakistan to be trailed in Pakistani courts instead of American and punished.
    3- I have great respect for your and Awab’s PR although I do not agree with politicizing it but then again who am I to say that.

  26. Abidi Avatar
    Abidi

    Barrister Ali K.Chishti,

    You are becoming a politician and changing colors like gecko.

    What you are presenting is not your first hand knowledge, it’s been out there in the media and people know what are the sources for these *stories*.

    All you are trying to do is dilute the sincere emotions of people for this lady. I don’t think you get paid for it, but you are trying to wash away the guilt of supporting the people who made money out of selling her, since MQM also benefitted from this sale.

  27. Barrister Ali K.Chishti Avatar
    Barrister Ali K.Chishti

    If stating out facts and accepting what’s right from the opposition POV n is “crime” then I am guilty as charged.

    My information about Afia is based on public information partly and partly from sources (unfortunately, I can not disclose). Let’s just settle that the same people (and I will be precise, the person) who identified Amil Kasi apart from a former member of the law enforcement authority now turned into the profitable bounty hunter helped locate her.

    I have publicly stated that she has no sympathy from my side since she has compromised national security.

    As for me: I am persona-non-grata to you and Afia or to anyone else – a small fry in company of sharks.

    Duago,
    Ali.

  28. Lady M.B.B.S. Avatar
    Lady M.B.B.S.

    And identifier of Amil Kansi also fell victim to the ones for whom she identified him……….

    This is a vicious cycle…..

  29. Asif Sheikh Avatar
    Asif Sheikh

    There is no indication of who authored this document. Is this by this blog or another institution. Please inform.

    Thanks.

  30. guYasir Avatar
    guYasir

    i too not into did sordid sects system i rather observer but one has to be racist once he lives in dis racists creed world.
    we’ve been divided int0 sects by a racists creed cabal.
    All our craven and venal pol’s are part of dis criminal cabal and they’ve no other choice but to dance on their tunes. remember all pol’s are criminals.
    I wanna say on dis current financial turmoil that it is a banking ruse for world-gov aka Globalization which seems gulag in itself in which we are prisons once who resist turn terrorist. Altaf Hussien shudnt forget that Z party was those who named em “Terrorist”

  31. guYasir Avatar
    guYasir

    I too not into dis sordid sects system i rather observer but one has to be racist once he lives in dis racists creed world so I’m a sunni deoband.
    we’ve been divided int0 sects by a racists creed cabal.
    All our craven and venal pol’s are part of dis criminal cabal and they’ve no other choice but to dance on their tunes.
    I wanna say on dis current financial turmoil that it is a banking ruse for world-gov aka Globalization which seems gulag in itself in which we are prisons one who resists turn terrorist. Altaf Raja shudn’t forget that Z party are those who called ’em “Terrorists”
    And dont forget lady every politician is criminal and I hate politics and politicians and their policies in short PPP

  32. Jaffar Avatar
    Jaffar

    I think all Pakistanis should write to journalists in the western media to highlight the case of Dr Afia.

    Prominent newspapers and magazines also publish the email addresses of journalists who contribute to their papers.

    Its useless to ask our *leaders* to do some thing for Dr Afia. It would be very beneficial if we can get some journalists-with conscience who would look into this case and highlight it in the media.

  33. Rafay Kashmiri Avatar
    Rafay Kashmiri

    @ Lady M.B.B.S,

    I wanted to have your opinion on different

    stresses and their consequences, reactions and
    side-effects, physical indications and intellectual
    secondry reactions, and an eventual pragnoses, can
    you not possibly diagnose the real problem our dear
    Barrister has ? I suspect he has developed a certain
    ” Malikholia ” ever since he collected rumours and
    absolute nonsenses on a Dentist’e blog removing
    Aqle darh to avoid nightmares he confronts on any
    innocent subject.

  34. Rafay Kashmiri Avatar
    Rafay Kashmiri

    @ Fazool Wakil,

    you can not deny the fact that Mushy handed over
    700 Pakistanis to FBI, and yet you give us the
    impotent crap that Dr. Afia had links with Alqaiedah ?

    I offer you a filbadih shaer,

    Yeh mubahesay, sargoshian, yeh afwahein,
    teri bisat say barh kar nehin ye afsanay

    RK

  35. Rafay Kashmiri Avatar
    Rafay Kashmiri

    @ Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s case has turned into a total
    fiasco, her two kids were executed, responsibilities
    shared by Khad, Mushy and FBI, must pull the maximum
    on FBI weak point, she is in their custody, Khad
    had executed the two kids and FBI was totally informed.
    We can get Americans on Int. Court of Justice on first
    count manslaughter, illegal incarceration of citizens
    of soveriegn country, practicing human-bondage, sexual
    abuse, rape etc etc. clear cut case against US Govt.
    They till hold atleast 690 more abducted Pak citizens,
    USA opinion must be given a shock.

    @ Barrister, you change your Anti-Pakistan motives
    into Pro-Pakistan on this thread, I have noticed.

  36. Karin Friedemann Avatar

    In a conversation with Lord Ahmed, he told me that according to Aafia’s former lawyer, the Federal government was imposing its will on the judge and forcing the judge not to allow Aafia to get medical treatment or released on bail.

    Aafia’s uncle and husband are currently on trial at Guantanamo. Clearly innocent, they are requesting martyrdom after years of torture. Not realizing that Osama bin Laden is NOT wanted for 9/11, the detainees have confessed to all kinds of things including crimes they could not possibly have committed since they were in Guantanamo at the time.

    The US is covering up the true story of 9/11 and therefore they need to place the blame on Aafia’s uncle, Khalid “the Matermind” as they claim. That is the reason she is a security risk. She could expose the government’s lies and high crimes. These days, the US justifies detaining as a “security risk” anyone, including journalists, who possesses information or evidence about US military and detainee abuses.

  37. barrister IQBAL GEOF Avatar

    All this "phook" and compassion for justice has leaKKKed out by October 23, 2008. No persistence, no vision or tenacity in our intelligenhtsia, eh?

    AAFIA would have been better off if she were even citizen of little BHUTAN or LEICHENSTEIN.

    I feel sad, very sad!!

    this apathy , this indiffedrence is reprehensible.