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Published 28 Aug, 2012 05:17pm

Dr Afia's illegal detention creating anti-US feelings: Malik

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Tuesday said that case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui had become matter of great concern in Pakistan and it was creating anti-US feelings amongst masses.

Malik said that Siddiqui's repatriation to Pakistan would create good-will for US in the country.

Speaking to media representatives, the interior minister said that keeping in view of her health, serious sickness of her mother and violation of international rules norms, the US should return Siddqui back home.

The Interior Minister informed William Ramsey Clark, ex-Attorney General of USA/Advocate of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, that Pakistan has already explained its position on her repatriation.

He said that the interior ministry had already sent a letter on July 21, 2010 to the Deputy Attorney General to allow Siddiqui to see her young children and ailing mother.

Malik said that Siddiqui was a Pakistani National, who was repatriated from Afghanistan to US, instead of deporting her to Pakistan as per Interpol Charter.

He said that the trial of Dr Aafia Siddiqui had not stand judicial justification internationally.

The interior minister said that the government had conveyed the concerns of Pakistan on the issue.

He said that there was also a human angle to this living episode, as her two children are living in constant state of uncertainty, which is having a telling effect on their health and in this condition they were even unable to travel to US to meet their mother.

He said that reportedly there was over ninety precedent cases in the legal history of US, where cases against such individuals were dropped on humanitarian/political grounds.

Earlier, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf constituted a four-member committee headed by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to look into the case of Dr Siddiqui.

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