ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday halted the Islamabad High Court (IHC) from initiating contempt of court proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers in the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
The court also adjourned hearings in the related case of Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, Dr Aafia’s sister, and issued notices to all parties involved.
On July 21, the IHC initiated contempt proceedings against PM Shehbaz and his entire cabinet for disregarding its order to provide reasons for not assisting a US court hearing the case of incarcerated neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard appeals filed by the federal government challenging a High Court order dated May 16, 2025. The government sought permission to amend its petition and requested that the previous order be declared null and void.
The Islamabad High Court had previously asked the prime minister and the cabinet to clarify why they had not supported legal efforts on Dr Aafia’s behalf in the United States.
Read: IHC issues contempt notices to Shehbaz, cabinet in Dr Aafia case
The federal government argued that the proposed amendments would exceed judicial authority and violate the finality of decided cases. It added that reopening a matter long concluded would contravene established legal principles.
Officials emphasised that the case is closely linked to foreign policy and international law. The amended petition had requested that the government be constitutionally obliged to take steps for Dr Siddiqui’s release and repatriation.
According to the government, in October 2024, the prime minister sent a letter to the US president in support of clemency for Dr Aafia. A high-level delegation was also sent to the United States to explore prisoner transfer agreements. However, US authorities did not agree to any such arrangements, the federal government stated.
Dr Aafia, a Pakistani neuroscientist currently incarcerated in the United States, was sentenced to 86 years in prison on charges of attempted murder – a sentence significantly exceeding the US legal maximum of 10 years for the crime.
She has served 16 years behind bars and has been separated from her children for more than two decades.
Dr Aafia was reportedly intercepted in Karachi in March 2003 while travelling with her three children and subsequently disappeared for five years. It was later revealed in 2008 that she had been imprisoned in Afghanistan before being transferred to the United States.
While two of her children, Ahmed and Maryam, were released in 2008 and 2010 respectively, the whereabouts of her son Sulaiman remain unknown.
