The US State Department has declined to comment on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s request for the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist serving an 86-year prison sentence in the US on terrorism charges.
During a press conference in Washington, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel stated that inquiries regarding Dr. Siddiqui’s case should be directed to the Department of Justice. He further added, “I certainly wouldn’t get into private diplomatic communications.”
Last week, it was revealed that PM Sharif had written a letter to US President Joe Biden, requesting Dr. Siddiqui’s release on humanitarian grounds. This information came to light when a state lawyer submitted a copy of the letter to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), following the court’s request for a report on efforts made by Pakistan to secure Siddiqui’s extradition.
Also read: PM Shehbaz Sharif Requests Joe Biden To Pardon Dr. Aafia Siddiqui on Humanitarian Grounds
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a highly educated neuroscientist from Karachi, has been serving her sentence in the US since being convicted in 2010.
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