A clemency petition has been filed with the White House for the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year prison sentence in the US.
Sources in Washington confirmed to Dawn that lawyers are urging President Joe Biden to allow the doctor to be released before the end of his term on January 20.
A Pakistani delegation led by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt had recently visited the US on humanitarian grounds to secure the release of Aafia Siddiqui, along with Senator Talha Mahmood and psychologist Dr. Iqbal Afridi.
The effort was made in light of the Islamabad High Court’s directives to meet with US lawmakers and officials for this purpose.
The Pakistani delegation held talks in Washington with US lawmakers including House of Representatives Committee Chairman Congressman Jim McGovern, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Karachi-born Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen. The delegation also met with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Elizabeth Hurst.
During these meetings, the delegation explored possible legal avenues and stressed the urgent need to appeal for clemency for Aafia Siddiqui. Members of the Pakistani-American community who facilitated the visit confirmed to Dawn that a clemency petition had been submitted to the White House.
A member of the community said that we hope that President Joe Biden will make a decision before the transfer of power to Donald Trump on January 20.
The delegation also met with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell, in Fort Worth, Texas, which has a specialized medical and mental health care facility for female prisoners. The meeting lasted for 3 hours and was also attended by psychiatrist Dr. Iqbal Afridi.
Speaking to reporters, Senator Talha Mahmood described the meeting with Aafia Siddiqui as ‘encouraging’. He expressed hope that Joe Biden has more than 60 clemency applications, including Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s, and said that we hope that her case will be prioritized and the president will consider it sympathetically.
The US-based Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) also assisted the delegation in some of its activities.
After meeting Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt described the visit as part of the ongoing diplomatic efforts led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier written a letter to President Joe Biden in October 2024, appealing for a clemency for Aafia Siddiqui on humanitarian grounds due to her deteriorating health.
Born in Karachi, Aafia Siddiqui moved to the United States in 1990 on a student visa, earned a doctorate in neuroscience from Brandeis University, and was involved with the Muslim Students Association as an MIT undergraduate.
Media reports allege that Aafia Siddiqui raised funds for a group affiliated with al-Qaeda. After returning to Pakistan in 2002, she divorced her first husband and married Ammar Al-Baluchi, the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.
After Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s arrest in 2003, Aafia Siddiqui was named as an al-Qaeda courier and disappeared after the FBI issued a global alert.
Dr. Aafia was arrested in Afghanistan in 2008, allegedly in possession of cyanide and documents related to US installations. During interrogation, Aafia Siddiqui allegedly snatched a US officer’s rifle and opened fire, resulting in his death.
She was sentenced to 86 years in prison in 2010, sparking protests across Pakistan, where many see her as a symbol of resistance to alleged injustices.
Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, commented on Twitter, saying, “Can we see Imran Khan supporters demanding that the incoming Trump administration offer Pakistan a deal to release Aafia Siddiqui in exchange for Imran Khan?”
