Senate for efforts to ensure Aafia's release

ISLAMABAD The Upper House of the Parliament on Monday through a unanimously passed resolution asked the Government to make all legal and diplomatic efforts for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from US detention. The House expresses its grave concern and sorrow over the continuous detention of Dr Aafia and her children and demands that Government should adopt all legal and diplomatic measures to seek her return to Pakistan, read the resolution moved by Senator Talha Mehmood and read out by Leader of the House in Senate Nayyar Hussain Bukhari. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan said that the US jury had ignored three universally recognised principles of justice while giving its verdict against Dr Aafia. He said the case involved conflict of law, as the accused was a Pakistani citizen arrested from Afghanistan and being tried in the United States. He said in such cases benefit of the conflict of law was given to the accused but the US jury ignored this principle of justice. Moreover, he added, the accused is given the benefit of doubt if a single link is missing in circumstantial evidences. In Dr Aafias case, the very origin of the crime and place of her arrest was not clear as well as the statements of prosecution witnesses were contradictory but she was given no benefit of doubt, Dr Awan continued. Furthermore, the forensic report, too, did not support the prosecutions stance but the US jury ignored all these principles of justice, the Minister regretted. He called upon the jury to review its verdict on the touchstone of universally recognised principles of justice. Before passage of the resolution, mover of the resolution Senator Talha Mehmood also highlighted the various aspects of the case in his speech. He said all political forces and the nation were united on the issue. He questioned under which principle of justice children of Dr Aafia were being kept detained and that how she could be tried in the US for a crime she allegedly committed in Afghanistan. He said the nation had rendered innumerable sacrifices in the war on terror but received drone attacks, cases like Dr Aafia and other such things in return. Senator Talha further said that case involved honour and dignity of the nation and Government should, therefore, raise it on international forums. The House referred two bills moved by Senator Raza Rabbani to the respective committee of the House. The bills included the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2010 and the SBP Banking Services Corporation Ordinance (Repeal) Bill 2010. The House also continued debate over the price hike and overall economic situation of the country. Taking part in the debate, Senator Sami Siddiqui said she hoped no reduction in inflation, adding that Government was paying no heed to the suggestions coming from the Parliament. She said there was every kind of crises in Pakistan. She added that India was committing water terrorism against Pakistan and was fluctuating over the composite dialogue process. Senator Zahid Khan said that Pakistans democracy relied on non-democratic forces and regretted that politicians often cooperated with the conspirators against democracy. He wondered that Government was increasing oil prices when the same was going down in international market. Senator Abbas Khan called for a comprehensive economic policy jointly formulated by the Government and Opposition. He regretted that political forces were wasting their energies on non-issues and said that no one ever launched long march on the issues pertaining to the people. Senator SM Zafar said that Government borrowed Rs 1,600 billion from foreign countries and agencies as well as Rs 636 billion from domestic donors. He regretted that the exports were declining despite the depreciation of Pak Rupee. Minister for Finance would wind up the debate today (Tuesday) after concluding speech by Senator Ishaq Dar, mover of the motion. ANP staged walkout over the issue of not being taken on board over the various issues pertaining to Karachi and Sindh coalition government. ANPs Senator Zahid Khans point of order against PIA management in connection with the alleged transportation of a relative by a captain to UK opened a Pandoras box against the Airlines management, as other Senators including Ahmad Ali, Semi Siddiqui, and Humayun Mandokhel also burst out against the various irregularities in PIA. The Chairman Senate Farooq H Naek asked Nayyar Bukhari to ask Minister for Defence to clarify the position of the airline in the House today (Tuesday).