September 11, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 10, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 10: The foreign ministry informed the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday that it was working with the US authorities to provide medical treatment and legal assistance to Dr Aafia Siddiqui. It is also trying to secure her and her children’s return to Pakistan.

It said it had called up the “US political counsellor to the Foreign Office and conveyed its concerns about her imprisonment and trial in the US”.

The ministry submitted its reply in response to an order issued by the court on a petition calling for the neuroscientist’s return to Pakistan.

The ministry’s American division stated that it came to know about Dr Aafia’s detention by the US authorities on July 17. Later, it said, the issue of her confinement at the US base in Bagram was taken up with the US and Afghan authorities, taking lead from media reports.

The ministry said a Pakistan embassy representative had met Dr Aafia in the presence of her attorney at the New Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Centre in New York where she denied all charges levelled against her.

According to the ministry, Dr Aafia had complained about ‘strip body searches’ and called for a woman doctor to treat her. She had inquired about her children and her mother and also demanded Halal food and prayer timings.

The ministry stated that the prison authorities had promised to provide her the facilities.

Dr Aafia, the ministry said, had been advised by her lawyer not to disclose details of her case, about her arrest, interrogation or any torture she might have suffered during her detention. On Aug 12, the Pakistani embassy had requested the US State Department to repatriate her children but the US authorities said they were not aware of their whereabouts, but said that she was getting adequate medical attention.

The court directed the ministry to submit its comments and ordered the petitioner, Barrister Mohammad Iqbal Jafree, to make the ministry one of the respondents.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Shahidullah Baig also appeared before the court and said that the foreign ministry should also be involved in the case because the matter was “sensitive and needed a thorough probe involving the embassies of Afghanistan and the United States”.

The habeas corpus petition calls for Dr Aafia’s release and safe and honourable repatriation.