PADF Galvanizes Pak-American Support for Dr. Aafia

Chicago, Illinois:  The Pakistan American Democratic Forum (PADF) is calling on all Pakistani-American organizations to fulfill their moral obligations by putting together a comprehensive “Assistance Plan” to help Dr. Afia Siddiqui to defend herself.
 “We live under a system where a person is innocent till proven guilty in a court of law,” PADF and PANA Chair Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Said. “But unless one has the resources to have one’s day in the court, this legal norm remains hollow and meaningless.”
The PADF statement reads:
At a minimum the Pakistani Americans need to do the following:

1. Demand full investigation of all “missing” Pakistani nationals. If there is one issue that should have been taken to the UN Security Council or the International Court of Justice, that is of missing Pakistanis. “One hopes that this case is going to bring more attention to the issue of the 'disappeared, ' "said Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan researcher for Human Rights Watch".”
   
2. Help Dr. Aafia Siddiqui to hire a team of competent lawyers by setting up a Legal Defense Fund.

3. Set up a website, an email network, and provide regular updates.

4. Organize a support network that could facilitate fundraising, volunteer work, research, media outreach and community education. 

5. Keep the issue alive and let it not recede into mass amnesia.
6. Needless to say that many useful items can be added to this list. But only a consortium of Pakistani-American organizations can achieve these goals.

Dr. Toor will initiate a conference call of all major Pakistani American groups to achieve the above-stated goals. Those interested in joining this effort should contact Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Toor @ matoormd@gmail.com.

 

 

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