US agrees on Aafia Siddiqui's extradition
The Pakistani neuroscientist is serving her 86-year prison term in the US jail.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - In the latest breakthrough, the US has offered Pakistan to sign prisoner swap agreement for the extradition of Dr Aafia Siddiqi, after which the Pakistani scientist will be allowed to serve the remaining part of her imprisonment in homeland.
Talking to Dunya News during morning programme ‘Khabar Yeh Hai , the spokesperson of the foreign office Umar Hameed also confirmed that the US has offered Pakistan to sign prisoner swap agreement after which both countries will release each others prisoners.
According to the documents acquired from Interior Ministry, the US told Pakistan in written that the only legal way for the extradition of Dr Aafia Siddiqi was to sign prisoner swap agreement with the US. The US offered two deals that include European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad in this regard.
Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the Interior Ministry had formed a task force following the US offer which held its first session on July 3 to review the agreement.
The task force was established under the directives of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
The Pakistani neuroscientist was sentenced to 86 years in prison after she was convicted of grabbing a US soldier s M-4 assault rifle and trying to shoot a group of FBI agents and soldiers at an Afghan police compound in July 2008, a charge she consistently denied during the trial.
Reported by Rauf Klasra (Editor Investigation, Dunya News)
