A New Initiative to Seek Dr Aafia’s Release on the Basis of New Evidence
Sacramento, CA: A PADF press release states: Whereas, the Upper House of the Pakistani Parliament had unanimously passed a resolution on February 23, 2010, reflecting entire nation’s collective demand “that Government should adopt all legal and diplomatic measures to seek her [Dr Aafia’s] return to Pakistan,” and
Whereas, General Musharraf’s Foreign Minister, Mr Khurshid Kasuri, has recently confessed
the complicity of the Musharraf regime in kidnapping and handing over Dr Aafia to the US government, and has apologized for his own involvement in this abominable act, stating “I’m so sorry for handing over the innocent Dr Aafia Siddiqui to the Americans. It was my biggest mistake ever,” and
Whereas, the Zardari government has not only been negligent in pursuing its moral and legal duties, the connivance of its ambassador Hussain Haqqani with the US intelligence is a matter of public record, and its new ambassador had initially refused to issue a visa to the Honorable Ramsey Clark - a great friend of Pakistan and a known benefactor of the Bhutto family, and
Whereas, powerful circles in the US are putting pressure on the Zaradri Government to release Dr Shakeel Afridi to the US, and
Whereas, a number of knowledgeable American activists and legal experts, including Ms Tina Foster, the only US lawyer acceptable to Dr Aafia, believe there is a “small window of opportunity” for negotiating Dr Aafia’s release.
Therefore, let it be resolved, that this body demands that
1. The Pakistani Parliament must immediately convene a hearing on the basis of Mr Kasuri’s recent confession and the Zardari Government must launch a new, multi-pronged, diplomatic initiative to negotiate Dr Aafia’s release.
2. Pakistan’s new ambassador Ms Sherry Rahman must be instructed to a) hold a major press conference at the Pakistani embassy to announce the new initiative based on new evidence, b) convene a meeting of all major Pakistani American organizations, c) enlist support of all major human rights organizations, d) issue visas to Hon Cynthia McKinney, Hon Mike Gravel, Hon Ako Abdul Samad, Tina Foster, Esq, Sara Flounders, Esq and other known human rights activists to visit Pakistan and educate the Pakistani public about the reservoirs of goodwill for Dr Aafia that exist even in the United States.
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