ISLAMABAD - Expressing its deep concern over continuous illegal detention of Dr Aafia Siddiqui in the US jails, the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights here on Thursday urged the government ministries and departments concerned to initiate immediate steps for securing her release from prison and repatriating her back to Pakistan. The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, which met at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator SM Zafar, said that the Senate body was fully alive to the pain and agony of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's family and it would spare no effort to mitigate their sufferings. He said the lady be provided medical treatment by a female doctor and whereabouts of her children be traced urgently. The committee also asked the government to help the family acquire the services of a competent lawyer to plead her case in US courts and to ensure that fair trial is not denied to her. Senator Mushahid Hussain, a member of the Committee, said that the issue was above party divide and 'we are one in demanding immediate tracing of her children and ensuring retrieval and repatriation'. He informed that he was also in touch with the Pak Ambassador in Washington over the issue, who was also pursuing the matter at the appropriate level. Senator Dr Muhammad Said, another member of the committee, speaking on the occasion, said that it was a matter of national prestige and honour and Pakistan should not take it lightly. He demanded that a thorough probe should be conducted into the circumstances under which she had been taken to Afghanistan as reported in the foreign Press and media, along with shuttling back and forth several times between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Senator Dr. Khalid Ranjha said there should be no political point scoring on the issue, which should be taken up seriously and single-mindedly. He referred to the release of a British national of Pakistani origin (Mirza Tahir Hussain) who was convicted of murder and awarded death sentence but he was later released due to intervention of high ups from abroad. He said similar type of intervention would be helpful in securing release of Dr Aafia. The Law Minister, Senator Farooq H. Naik, briefing the Senate body said it appeared as if the incident took place back in 2003. "Anyway, we are trying to find out who are the people involved in it and how she was taken to Afghanistan and from there to US", he said. The minister said that the government was concerned about her detention and violation of her human rights. "We are in touch with the family and trying to engage a competent attorney for fair trial", he told the committee. The representative of the Foreign Office informed the Committee that the Government and Pakistan Mission in Washington was in touch with the US Government regarding it and owing to the efforts, they had recently been provided Counselor access by the US Government. "We are trying to ensure a fair trial to Dr. Siddiqui and a visit of the Committee is also being worked out to ascertain the facts", they told the Senate body. Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, elder sister of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, also attended the meeting on special invitation. She narrated the ordeal of the family and the sufferings it had to undergo as a result of her sudden disappearance nearly five years ago. She thanked the Senate body, Foreign Office and media for taking up the case firmly and hoped that justice would ultimately prevail due to efforts being made jointly by all. The meeting was attended among others by Senators Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Muhammad Abbas Komaili, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Muhammad Ali Durrani, Nasar Khan, Dr Muhammad Said and Hafiz Rasheed Ahmad and Senator Farooq H. Naek, Federal Law Minister.