KARACHI - Congratulating Pakistan on being elected as member of UN Human Rights Council, Aafia Movement leader Dr Fowzia Siddiqui has asked the government to raise the festering human rights issue of Dr Aafia Siddiqui on UN forum.

In a statement here on Thursday, she said election of Pakistan on the coveted global human rights forum of the UN General Assembly with more than two-third of votes is a good omen. She reminded that Dr Aafia Siddiqui has been languishing in prison for last 14 years for a crime which she never committed. She said now Pakistan has got a golden opportunity to raise her issue in the United Nations and seek her release. Dr Fowzia said that severe violations of basic human rights have been committed in the case of Aafia Siddiqui.

She said these violations of human rights in Aafia case are enough to hang once head in shame.

She said that noted legal experts from different parts of the world including ex-attorney general of the US Ramsey Clark, Tina Fosters, Kathy Manley, Steven Downs, Barrister Naseem Bajiwa, Justice Wajeehuddin Ahmed, Justice Saeeduzaman Siddiqui (Late), Rasheed A Razvi, Qadir Khan Mandokhel and other lawyers have termed this verdict cruel and inhuman.