The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled the hearing of a petition concerning Dr Aafia Siddiqui for October 29, with the case to be taken up by a four-member larger bench.
According to the cause list issued by the IHC registrar’s office, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir will preside over the bench, which also includes Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, Justice Azam, and Justice Raja Inam Ameen.
The court had earlier constituted the larger bench to hear the high-profile case related to Dr Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist imprisoned in the United States. The petition seeks government action regarding her release and repatriation.
Earlier in September, the IHC had issued a written verdict on the “compassionate release” plea of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, directing further action ahead of the next hearing on October 18. Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan announced the decision following earlier proceedings. During the hearing, the Attorney General had informed the court that the government intended to file a separate mercy petition for Dr Siddiqui and is finalising details of a possible prisoner exchange agreement with the United States, expected within three weeks.
The upcoming hearing is expected to review the federal government’s efforts and diplomatic correspondence concerning Dr Siddiqui’s case, which has drawn sustained public and political attention in Pakistan for over decades.
Sexual abuse in custody
In June, according to the lawyer Clive Smith, overseeing the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, she faces continuous sexual and physical abuse. Smith alleged that a security guard recently raped Siddiqui as punishment and that harassment has persisted despite repeated complaints. He said communication during visits was difficult, conducted through a glass wall using a faulty phone that was replaced after two days. During a visit by her sister, Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, prison officials allegedly locked her in a room and forgot her for over an hour. Smith plans to raise Aafia’s case with White House officials soon.