Aafia-Afridi swap proposal not workable, IHC told

The federal government informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday that the proposal to exchange Dr Aafia Siddiqui for Shakeel Afridi is not implementable.IHC Judge Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan heard a petition seeking Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s release from the US prison.During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Manzoor Iqbal Dogar argued that the proposal to hand over Afridi in exchange for Siddiqui’s release was not feasible.The proposal was originally suggested by Dr. Siddiqui’s counsel, Clive Smith, as part of efforts to secure her release.He also raised concerns regarding issues in a draft petition filed in a US court concerning Aafia Siddiqui’s case. Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan expressed surprise at the government’s stance, which appeared to retract support for Siddiqui’s petition for release in the US court.The IHC directed the law officer to consult with the government and provide a response to any objections raised by the next Friday’s hearing.Dogar further noted that both Shakeel Afridi and Aafia Siddiqui are Pakistani nationals and emphasized that Pakistan has no agreement with the US on prisoner exchanges.During the hearing, Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq inquired about the importance of Afridi to the US and asked for an update on his case.Zainab Janjua, a court assistant, informed the court that Shakeel Afridi is convicted, with his appeal still pending in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).Fauzia Siddiqui’s lawyer, Imran Shafiq, mentioned that Afridi faces charges of espionage and providing assistance.Iqbal Dogar also informed the court that a letter on the matter was submitted on February 19, but former US President Joe Biden had rejected the request without acknowledging it.To this, Justice Khan raised concerns about the lack of a response from the White House and questioned the diplomatic propriety of sending a letter without a reply.Subsequently, the IHC postponed the hearing of the case until next Friday.Aafia Siddiqui is currently serving an 86-year sentence in the US, following her conviction by a federal court in New York in 2010 on attempted murder and other charges.