Court moved for production of woman from US prison

ISLAMABAD - A habeas corpus petition was filed in Islamabad High Court Tuesday against the alleged captivity of a Pakistani doctor, Aafia Siddiqui and her children at notorious US detention facility in Bagram (Afghanistan). The petition has been filed by Barrister Javed Iqbal Jaffery, a lawyer who is also pleading the case of Dr A Q Khan, under Articles 194 and 199 of the Constitution. President Pervez Musharraf, Interior Secretary Kamal Shah, American Legal AttachT in Islamabad, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former President Farooq Ahmad Leghari have been made respondents in the petition. In his plea, Barrister Jaffery has alleged that the American operatives had kidnapped Pakistani lady doctor, Aafia Siddiqui along with her children from Karachi in the year 2004 during a so-called hunt against the Al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. He also accused Pakistani authorities of being involved with the American spy agents in the kidnapping of Dr Aafia and further moving her to Bagram prison in Afghanistan, a detention centre owned and operated by the US Army. Barrister Jaffery has also expressed fear in his petition that American troops might have killed Dr Aafia and her children in detention. The petitioner has asked the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to inquire from the respondents whether they had killed Dr Aafia Siddiqui or she was still detained at Bagram with her children. "If she was alive then Dr Aafia be produced in the court along with all the record and compensation be paid to her for the illegal and unconstitutional arrest and subsequent detention", Dr Jaffery had prayed. Recent reports have revealed that Dr Aafia was the only woman prisoner detained at the notorious US detention centre where she was languishing for the last many years. Though the Americans have never admitted the arrest and captivity of Dr Aafia, several prisoners of Bagram jail have also confirmed the account after their release from prison.

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