Court gives go-ahead for prisoner transfer law

[A1Kaid]

Court gives go-ahead for prisoner transfer law

Move expected to help in repatriation of Dr Afia Siddiqui



By Mohsin Ali, Correspondent
Published: 17:42 August 28, 2013



Court gives go-ahead for prisoner transfer law

Move expected to help in repatriation of Dr Afia Siddiqui

By Mohsin Ali, Correspondent
Published: 17:42 August 28, 2013
Gulf News

Islamabad: The federal cabinet on Wednesday gave a go-ahead for Pakistan signing the Council of Europe Convention pertaining to transfer of sentenced prisoners, a move expected to help in repatriation of Dr Afia Siddiqui languishing in jail in the US.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who chaired the cabinet meeting, directed the the concerned authorities to take prompt steps for accession to the international convention and subsequent follow-up action for securing repatriation of Siddiqui.

Officials said after the approval of the cabinet a letter will be written to the secretary general of the Council

of Europe, making a formal request for accession. According to official sources the US had suggested to Islamabad three years ago that Pakistan’s signing of the Council of Europe Convention on transfer of sentenced prisoners could be helpful for the repatriation.

Excerpt: Court gives go-ahead for prisoner transfer law | GulfNews.com


Another excellent act by the new administration, the last administration couldn't achieve a single thing in a month. Glad to hear steps are being taken for transfer and release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. All of you who kept doubting PM Nawaz Sharif and the party look at what your own parties do, better yet what they can't do. Have to give credit where credit is due, new administration is restoring Pakistan's strength.

Now of course, real achievement will be her actual return, but this is a bold step one the previous Government couldn't even crawl towards.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

Excerpt: Court gives go-ahead for prisoner transfer law | GulfNews.com


Another excellent act by the new administration, the last administration couldn't achieve a single thing in a month. Glad to hear steps are being taken for transfer and release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. All of you who kept doubting PM Nawaz Sharif and the party look at what your own parties do, better yet what they can't do. Have to give credit where credit is due, new administration is restoring Pakistan's strength.

Now of course, real achievement will be her actual return, but this is a bold step one the previous Government couldn't even crawl towards.

It all depends on what USA will want in return for Dr. Siddiqui.

 

[A1Kaid]

Pakistan to urge US for Dr Aafia’s repatriation


Sohail Iqbal Bhatti



ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government is set to bring Dr Aafia Siddiqui back home from a US prison as the interior ministry Tuesday dispatched a summary to the cabinet division seeking approval of the federal cabinet scheduled to meet on Wednesday.

The federal cabinet meeting under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to approve the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons among many agenda items including amendments in Service Tribunal ACT, 1973, Amendment in the federal employees benevolent fund and group insurance act, 1969.

The sixteen point agenda of the Wednesday’s meeting, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, revealed the cabinet is set to take up the issue of bringing Dr Siddiqui back home.

“Approval for signing the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and attaining accession to this convention, request to the US government for repatriation of Ms Aafia Siddiqui to Pakistan,” reads the cabinet agenda.

The United States has bilateral treaties with Bolivia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Thailand, and Turkey, and is a party to two multilateral conventions, the Council of Europe (COE) Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and Inter American Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad.

Excerpt: Pakistan to urge US for Dr Aafia?s repatriation - DAWN.COM

 

[A.Rafay]

US retains the option to decline such a repatriation deal.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

US retains the option to decline such a repatriation deal.

Of course. Or they may ask for much more in return.

 

[A1Kaid]

US retains the option to decline such a repatriation deal.

Declining will hurt their relations with Pakistan, and unlike the sold out Zardari, PM Nawaz Sharif will take a stand. US progress made in Afghanistan can be flushed down the toilet.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

US retains the option to decline such a repatriation deal.

Or deny one is in process at all:

US denies reports of Aafia-Afridi prisoner swap agreement - DAWN.COM


US denies reports of Aafia-Afridi prisoner swap agreement
DAWN.COM

ISLAMABAD: The US embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday denied reports of a prisoner swap deal with Pakistan involving Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

Earlier this month, Pakistani media reported that the US had offered Pakistan to sign a prisoner exchange agreement, calling for a release of Pakistani prisoner Dr Shakil Afridi in exchange for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

“No, the United States government is not in discussions with the Government of Pakistan on a prisoner exchange or transfer involving Dr. Aafia Siddiqi,” said Meghan Gregonis, a spokesman for the US embassy.

On September 23, 2010 Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani imprisoned in the US, was sentenced by a US court to 86 years for having attempted to kill American soldiers. She is currently being held in a maximum-security prison in Texas.

The Government of Pakistan requested her transfer to Pakistan in 2010, said the embassy spokesman.

“However, we are not aware of a recent request from Pakistan to discuss her case, nor the case of Dr. Shakil Afridi,” she added. “The United States and Pakistan do not have and are not negotiating a bilateral prisoner exchange agreement.”

Afridi, a Pakistani doctor, aided the CIA in tracking down former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan by running a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad.

He was sentenced for committing treason and is currently being held at a prison in Peshawar.