Daughter of Pakistan Victimized by American Injustice

Who will be Muhammad Bin Qasim rescue to Dr Aafia from Americans?

America lost its confidence and reputation after the verdict of Dr Afia Saddiqui among whole Muslim world. Family members of her and all Pakistani impatiently waiting the verdict of Aafia .They know that she is Innocent and she will be released after the judgment.

But the court in the United States has found Pakistani scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui guilty of attempting to kill Americans in Afghanistan. How could she ?

The foreign ministry spokesman of Pakistan said that the government was disappointment by the guilty verdict of Aafia. Government would be in touch with her lawyer and family and help them.

Dr Aafia’s family and all Pakistan anger over the guilty verdict. A sister said that the guilt verdict demonstrates that America can not provide justice to innocent people. And her mother said that the verdict was in a humiliation for the US .Her family become stronger after guilty verdict of Aafia by US court .It is the judgment of injustice people they believe.



Dr Aafia Saddiqui born in Karach March 2,1972 in KArachi had earned her doctorate from a highly prestigious University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology better known as MIT. She had obtained a prestigious degree from a prestigious University while she was in twenties. Thus it could be said she was not an ordinary student.

She was known for being a fiery and a prominent speaker in the University and that too at a place known all over the world for maintaining very high standard of education.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui held very strong views on many matters and on that basis had earned a name for herself. She often criticized the policies of the United States in international affairs. This did not make her dear to the Americans.

Somebody who had lived among them and received education in their prestigious university should be critical of their policies. No, this was something they could not tolerate.

Democracy is a matter of pride for the Americans but it faltered when they had to deal with Dr Aafia Siddiqui .But it is not pride and good news for US because the wrong verdict is create more tension and destabilize the relations between east and west .

People in Pakistan had followed the proceedings of the trial with great suspense. They had waited anxiously for the verdict and had hoped it would be announced in acquittal of Dr Aafia.

The Government of Pakistan too had hoped that the agony of Dr Aafia would come to an end. The government paid dollar two million to meet various expenses during the trial.

President Asif Ali Zardari has offered assistance to her family in further pursuing the case. This shows how seriously the people of Pakistan are concerned over the matter.

She was convicted of seven charges. These were listed as attempting to kill US nationals, abroad, armed assault on US officers and employees, using and carrying a firearm.

Dr Aafia Saddiqui had also been accused of having links with Al-Qaeda. But this charge was not brought up during her trial. At least the jury did not mention it in its verdict. It could therefore be said this allegation did not have hard evidence.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui was convicted by a 12- member jury. It consisted of seven women and five men. The decision was unanimous. It was announced after the jury deliberated it for two days.

The court convicted her on Feb 3 but the sentence would be announced on May 6. Affia for full three months would languish in jail. She would suffer both physical and mental torture.

The Americans have themselves admitted that she was in their custody at the time of the incident. She was charged with having used M-4 rifle in her attempt to kill US officials.

One particular point is significant in the verdict. The jury said Aafia did not commit the crime with premeditation.

This means the incident or the crime as the jury thought it fit to be called was not pre-planned. It should be stated here, that the crime thus committed is not dealt with such harshness as it has been done in this case.

It is unfortunate that the jury thought it otherwise and handed down extremely harsh verdict. Even in American courts, the lawyers point it out if they ever find the incident was not premeditated. They do it for the reason to obtain benefit for their client.

Why then the jury in the case of Dr Aafia Saddiqui behaved differently, it is best known to them. However, it is certain that they could not provide best answer to the question. Rather this could be best described as murder of justice.

It could only be said the law had taken a different course when it came to convicting Pakistani scientist.

The other important matter that needs to be mentioned is immediate reaction of Dr Aafia Siddiqui to the verdict as soon as she heard it.

She said "this verdict of the jury is not supported by the people of the United States".She also appealed to the people of Pakistan to stay calm. This comment clearly reveals that she holds the people of the United States in high esteem. It shows she has faith in humanity. It speaks for her courage. She still trusts the honesty of common man.

The question that arises is then how did it happen. She was arrested on July 17, 2008near an American military base in Afghanistan. She was alleged to have fired at American officials on the following day.

Aafia was reported missing since March 2003.She was on her way to Karachi Airport from her home along with her three minor children when she went missing. One child has been handed over to her family in Karachi but the other two are still reported missing. Where they now could be, nobody knows it.

The Government of Pakistan and Aafia's family members have time and again demanded that since her children were innocent, they should be immediately released.

Member of Dr Aafia Siddiqui's family and her son who has been released by her captors is mentally disturbed. They say that he does not even remember his name.

Her sudden disappearance from the scene was widely reported by Pakistani media.
People of Pakistan wanted to know of her whereabouts. Everybody in the country knew that she had gone missing.




All protests against her disappearance and efforts to trace her out by her family members went in vain.

At that time Pervaiz Musharraf was the President of Pakistan. The time has shown that he was not keen to find the whereabouts of missing Pakistanis.

So many of them had disappeared during his tenure and if one more went what difference it would make for him.

How did she come to possess a rifle while she was under detention? Her captors have a ready- made answer. She had snatched it from the American soldiers who were holding her a prisoner and busy interrogating her about terrorism.



She was the only female present on the scene. A lone and physically weak woman had the strength to grab a rifle from stout and healthy male Americans. They had all the means at their disposal to defend themselves against a person who was completely at their mercy.

The Americans claim they fired at her in self-defense. They had to say this to lay claim to their innocence.

They leveled this allegation against Dr Aafia because they did not have any other choice.

Dr Aafia lay critically wounded in front of them and they knew well this would and an explanation would be sought from them.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui suffered wounds in the abdomen and a leg. She has still not fully recovered from the wounds she suffered at the hands of her captors. She was sexually abused during confinement .She had deteriorated physically and mentally by the American officers.

Dr Aafia Saddiqui said in fact the American officials had fired at her when she tried to look outside. She was wounded and fell back.

Her statement is supported by hard evidence. She was admitted to a hospital in Texas. This is an adequate proof of her injuries. What else the reason for admitting her to hospital.

If any further evidence is needed about her having been admitted to a hospital, it has been provided by her meeting with a Pakistani delegation.

The delegation had then proceeded to the United States from Pakistan. The members of the delegation did not go there just on a pleasure trip. They had support of the people of Pakistan.

The citizens of Pakistan felt disappointed when the delegation failed to bring Dr Aafia Saddiqui back home as they had wished or provide any relief to her from her pain.

The American lawyers who have pleaded on behalf of Dr Aafia Siddiqui said after the announcement of the verdict that they full faith in the system of justice in their country. They would appeal to the higher courts of their country to seek justice.

Let's hope they succeed and get justice as they have hoped for it. People of Pakistan too share their optimism and sincerely hope that would seen to have been done.

Let us also hope that the words of Dr Aafia Siddiqui come true that this verdict does have the support of the people of the United States of America.

Let us also hope that in the end it is not might but it is justice that has triumphed.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui may have to spend her entire life in jail if justice fails to come to her rescue. That indeed would be a tragedy for Aafia and her family.

She would be ruined and who would be blamed for the agony. Nobody would take the blame. The people of Pakistan would remember this unfortunate episode for a long time to come. It would also continue to haunt the Americans long after her exit.