Pakistan has formally requested a presidential pardon for imprisoned Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui from the United States, as confirmed by the additional attorney general during a court session at the Islamabad High Court.
The request was communicated through a letter addressed to the US president, aiming for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s repatriation, which AAGP Munawar Dogal shared with the court.
Born in Karachi in 1972 into a well-educated family, Dr. Siddiqui moved to the United States for higher education and earned a PhD in neuroscience from Brandeis University in 2001. Renowned for her scholarly achievements and deep religious commitment, her life dramatically changed post-9/11 due to allegations of her association with extremist groups.
Read: Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Faces Continued Sexual Harassment in Texas Prison, Lawyer Claims
Dr. Siddiqui was arrested in 2008 in Ghazni, Afghanistan, under controversial circumstances, accused of attempting to shoot US soldiers during an interrogation. Despite her claims of innocence and not injuring anyone, she was shot in the abdomen by US personnel during the incident.
In a poignant reunion, Fowzia Siddiqui met her sister in May 2023, marking their first encounter in two decades of Dr. Siddiqui’s incarceration in the US.
