Archive
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s Disappearance–>Letters Published in DAWN in 2004
Below is a summary of news items published in local newspapers regarding her abduction. They are part of letters published in DAWN Newspaper written by Aafia’s Uncle.
This should be enough for those who still think that Aafia was arrested in 2008 from Afghanistan.
—————————————————————————————————————————————–
Source : http://www.draafia.org/wap/index-wap2.php?p=324
Publisher: DAWN – daily English newspaper – Karachi, Pakistan:
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s Disappearance
(DAWN.com) – In the first week of April 2003, several news items were published in [Pakistan's] national dailies and broadcast from private TV channel regarding the sudden disappearance of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from Karachi as of other Pakistanis who have been [illegally] handed over to the Americans. The following is a chronological account of Dr. Siddiqui’s disappearance and the current status of the situation:
(1) Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui, who studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT], U.S., for about 10 years and did her PhD in genetics, returned to Pakistan in 2002. Having failed to get a suitable job, she again visited the U.S. on a valid visa in February 2003 to search for a job and to submit an application to the U.S.
Immigration authorities. She moved there freely and came back to Karachi by the end of February 2003 after renting a post office box in her name in Maryland for the receipt of her mail. It has been claimed by the FBI, June 23, 2003, issue) that the box was hired for one Mr. Majid Khan, an alleged member of Al-Qaeda residing in Baltimore [Maryland, USA].
(2) Throughout March 2003, flashes of the particulars of Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui were telecast/relayed, with her photo on American TV channels and radios, painting her as a dangerous [imaginary] Al-Qaeda person needed by the FBI for interrogation.
(3) On learning of the above [illegal] campaign of the FBI about her, she went underground in Karachi and remained so till her [unlawful] kidnapping, apparently by FBI-hired intelligence personnel, at the end of March [2003].
(4) Between March 25 and March 31 [2003], she rang up her mother from some location in Karachi informing her about her intention to go to Rawalpindi. The following day an Urdu daily published the news of her [illegal] arrest by the police while she was on her way to Karachi airport. At the time of her [unlawful] kidnapping she was accompanied by her three children, aged three-and-a-half months to seven years.
(5) On April 1, 2003, a small news item was published in an Urdu daily with reference to a press conference of Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat when, in reply to a question regarding the arrest of Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui, he said: “She has not been arrested.”
(6) There was another news item in an Urdu daily on April 2 [2003] regarding another press conference when the Interior Minister said Dr. Siddiqui was connected to Al-Qaeda and that she had not been arrested as she was absconding. He added: “You will be astonished to know about the activities of Dr. Aafia (Siddiqui).”
(7) A motorcyclist in plainclothes knocked at the door of the mother of Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui (Mrs. Ismat Siddiqui) and told her: “We know that you are connected to higher-ups. But it would be better for you if you keep quiet regarding your daughter. She and her children are OK with us.”
( 8 ) The June 23, 2003 issue of Newsweek International has been exclusively devoted to the so-called Al-Qaeda. The core of the issue is an [idiotic and illegitimate] article “Al Qaeda’s Network in America”. The [false and fraudulent] article has three photographs of so-called Al-Qaeda members – Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and Ali S. Al Marri of Qatar who has studied in the U.S. like Dr. Siddiqui and had long gone back to his homeland. In this article, which has been authored by eight journalists who had access to FBI records, the only charge leveled against Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is that “she rented a post-office box to help a former resident of Baltimore named Majid Khan (alleged Al-Qaeda suspect) to help establish his U.S. identity. She was also ’supposed’ to support other Al-Qaeda operatives as they entered the United States.”
(9) The article states that Dr. [Aafia] Siddiqui was arrested in Pakistan contrary to the repeated statements of our Interior Minister.
(10) On 30-12-2003, Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui, elder sister of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, saw Mr. Faisal Saleh Hayat at Islamabad with Mr. Ejaz ul Haq, MNA, regarding the whereabouts of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui is a neurologist, studied at and did her doctorate in the U.S. She was head of the neurology department at Johns Hopkins.
Mr. Faisal Saleh Hayat told Dr. Fawzia and Mr. Ejaz ul Haq that according to his information, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui had already been released and that Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui should go home and wait for some phone call from her sister. But, alas, that phone call has not yet come (third week of March [2004]) and the whole family of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, including the author of these lines, are in a state of severe mental torture.
S.H. FARUQI
Tuesday, 30 March 2004
Islamabad, Pakistan
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s Disappearance
(DAWN.com) – This is with reference to my earlier letter under the above caption (March 30 [2004]). I had written in the earnest expectation that something positive would come out and there would be some progress towards ending the miseries of my family related to the disappearance of my niece, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, more than a year ago.
But instead of arranging for the release of the illegally detained doctor, the [Pakistan] authorities have apparently opted to punish the remaining members (Dr. Aafia’s mother and elder sister Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui with her two children) for protesting against the injustice.
After the publication of my March 30 [2004] letter, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s mother and sister (along with her two children) have apparently been put under [illegal] house-arrest and are not allowed to have any physical or telephonic contact even with their family members. After failing to talk to my younger sister (mother of Dr.
Aafia Siddiqui) on the phone from Islamabad since March 30 till April 20 [2004], I rushed to Karachi and visited her house (140-E, Block-7, Gulshan-i-Iqbal) on April 22 [2004] only to find a big lock on the main gate of the house. I knocked on the gate for quite some time, first mildly, then strongly but there was no response.
Then I contacted my sister’s next-door neighbour, who happens to be the younger brother of [Pakistan Army's ex-Chief] Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg. The lady (Mrs. Beg) was kind enough to tell me that Mrs. Ismat Siddiqui and her daughter Dr. Fawzia were inside the house, but for some time they had not been coming out or responding to the doorbell.
After trying to see my sister in vain from April 22 to 25 [2004], I returned to Islamabad. With this state of affairs, I doubt we are free citizens of a free country.
S.H. FARUQI
Sunday, 2 May 2004
Islamabad, Pakistan
Sanih e Mashriqi Pakistan–>Dr. AQ Khan on 1971 in Jang
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan has written a must read thought provoking article on 1971 Independence of Bangladesh.
The Best Thing Army Can Do
Many people are of the opinion that army under Kiyani is different than army under Musharraf. I have doubts and disagreements over this statement.
If Kiyani is somewhat different then he needs to come out of that filthy NRO-Musharraf Protection-War against humanity deal.
According to which:
1) PPP and liberal alliance got NRO.
2) Pervaiz Musharraf got protection from article 6 proceedings.
America and Army (Kiyani represented the army) were the brokers of the deal.
The main thing which made this deal possible was the commitment of both army and PPP to fight this war against humanity and peace.
Pak Army/ISI are not fighting against USA and allied forces , they are giving them safe passage for their 95% supplies for Afghanistan(An impression is being given by establishment that operations in tribal areas are not against our tribes but are against CIA backed groups). They are giving protection to their assets in Shamsi, Tarbaila Ghazi etc .Missing persons case is still running and still the facts are not presented to courts by army/agencies.
I can say the change in their behavior is coming when:
1) They decide to come out of this war.
2) Take their support to US and allies forces back.
3) Kiyani invokes army act 1952 against Musharraf for treason.
4) Army decides to leave their forceful control over Pakistan’s economic resources especially land.
5) Generals stop building their image and focus on national security and not on ways of capturing powers and political influence.
Our Quaid had a great visionary mind and we can still learn from what he said:
“I am persuaded to say this because during my talks with one or two very high-ranking officers I discovered that they did not know the implications of the Oath taken by the troops of Pakistan. Of course, an oath is only a matter of form; what are more important are the true spirit and the heart.” – Jinnah at Staff College Quetta 14th June 1948
And what oath they take currently:
[Article 244]
“(In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.)
I, ____________, do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan and uphold the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan which embodies the will of the people, that I will not engage myself in any political activities whatsoever and that I will honestly and faithfully serve Pakistan in the Pakistan Army (or Navy or Air Force) as required by and under the law.”
If an unlawful command is given then constitution says not to obey it and in the oath our soldiers swear in the name of Allah to uphold the constitution.
The best thing army can do is to become a national army and stop acting like an occupied force which serves the motives of imperialist powers.
It seems we have not learned the lesson from our history–>16 December 1971
History teaches lots of lessons and nations which don’t learn from it often become a forgotten part of it.
Below are the words of Hamood ur Rehman commission report. The commission was made to investigate the 1971 Fall of Dhaka or Independence of Bangladesh. As Bangladesh is a sovereign state now and we wish best of luck to them on their independence day.
“Indiscriminate killing and looting could only serve the cause of the enemies of Pakistan. In the harshness, we lost the support of the silent majority of the people of East Pakistan.” Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Report on 1971
It seems we have not learned the lesson from our history and still repeating it in NWFP,Baluchistan and FATA.
International Human Rights Day OR International Hypocrisy Day
After violating the human rights for whole year the so called civilized people celebrate international human rights day on 10 December.
Today (10 December 2009) Obama got Nobel peace prize for his anticipation for the cause of peace. He is same Obama who is sending more troops to Afghanistan for a baseless war to kill innocent people in the name of fighting terrorism, he is the same president of USA who accelerated the drone attacks on civilian population in Pakistan, he is the same person who is backing off from his promise to close Guantanamo bay prison and still he is the selected representative of peace according to Nobel prize committee.
It is really amazing how so called civilized people support the civilian killings in the war against humanity and peace which they call war against terror even after knowing that use of brutal force and indiscriminate bombing which USA and NATO does on Afghans, Pakistan Army does on Pakistanis, Israel on Palestinians, India on Kashmiris and elsewhere are against the international human rights norms and regulations which the so called civilized world drafted themselves.
Social-Economic exploitation is still going on and again the main culprits are so called civilized governments, institutions and leaders of the world. The only thing the civilized world does is to cash those issues in the name of forming global funds, world organizations, international courts and so on but issues and disputes are as severe as they were in fact the situation has gone worse.
I don’t know how celebrating this day will help people dying of imperialist policies and totalitarian governments or people like Aafia Siddiqi and many like her who are not considered to be treated like human beings because of their ethnic or religious affiliation.
I think International Human Rights Day should be celebrated as International Hypocrisy Day.
What are we doing for Waziristan?–>Ayaz Wazir article in The News
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=209910
By Ayaz Wazir
Operation Rah-e-Nijat, or to use the so-called FATA experts’ pet phrase ‘the mother of all wars’, has entered its fourth week. All indications are that it will soon be over. So far more than 700 militants are reported to have been killed. There has been no mention whatsoever of loss of innocent lives or damage to property (termed ‘collateral damage’ in American terms to minimise the psychological impact).This is hard to believe, considering that aerial bombardment and artillery are being used. So far, no picture of any dead, important militant commander has been shown on TV. Neither are journalists allowed to enter the area and whatever the army spokesman tells us is to be believed without corroboration.
Since the operation has already been launched and cannot be reversed at this stage, let us pray that that it will achieve the desired result and no more operations will be required for the elimination of militants, although our experience for the last eight years tells us a different story. Has the writ of the government been established in Bajaur and other places in FATA where operations were conducted earlier? Will this one bring peace to Waziristan? Such questions come to our minds when we talk about operations in FATA.
The army’s job, as we all know, is to destroy the enemy. Once that is done, it is then the job of the civil government to step in to sort out the problem on a permanent basis. It is so unfortunate that our civilian government has not taken that step and keeps on blaming the past rulers for the policies that it is still following.
It was a different story altogether during Musharraf’s time. He was doing it for his own survival. The people were fed up and wanted change. They voted in favour of the ruling party, hoping that it will discard the policies of the dictator, and give guidance to the army and the public at large. It didn’t. It even ignored the unanimously adopted resolution by parliament endorsed by all the political parties, which could have laid the foundation of finding a permanent solution to the problem.
FATA has suffered all along and South Waziristan the most. It seems to be the most unfortunate spot on this earth. It has been deprived of political and economic development for centuries. The Afghans ignored it when it was a part of their country. The British continued to do the same, besides constructing roads and an airport to pursue their own interest. In fact, South Waziristan was neglected even after partition.
Thirty years of war in Afghanistan fought mostly from this area have further added to the miseries of the people. It destroyed the infrastructure and left deep scars on the body politic of tribal customs. The traditional tribal system, though intact, was badly bruised leaving little room for the tribes to resist militant onslaught.
Whatever little progress that was made by the tribesmen in trade, commerce and agriculture was destroyed in the eight-year-war against the militants. The general public has not taken up arms against the army but has suffered the most. Their close relatives got killed, their houses demolished and shops razed to the ground. The losses run into billions of dollars but nobody has been paid compensation so far. Imagine their frustration when they see victims of militancy in other cities of Pakistan, getting the attention of the media and government.
The president and prime minister issue immediate instructions for medical assistance and financial help to compensate for the losses. No doubt, they deserve our sympathy and support for rehabilitation, but why are the people from Waziristan not treated in a similar manner? Aren’t they Pakistanis as well? Should they continue to pay for the sins of others? Should they continue to be the victims of a situation brought upon them against their wishes? If not, then let us take the matter more seriously and put our heads together to ascertain what went wrong and what we should do next.
The civilian government does not appear to be in the mood to take over its responsibilities in tribal areas. It has left everything to the army, which is doing its job to the best of its abilities. However, on its own it cannot solve the problem ‘politically’. As Winston Churchill right said, “War is too serious a matter and cannot be left to the generals alone.” The civil government must give its guidance to them, in consultation with the people concerned.
We voted the present government into power mainly to undo the unpopular policies of the dictator and allow for refreshing solutions to the problems faced by the country. Unfortunately, the latter failed to do the same. It got embroiled in notorious matters, such as the NRO. What were the public aspirations and what has the government done? It has only added to their miseries by giving us load-shedding, sugar and flour crises, etc.
FATA, which does not fall under the jurisdiction of parliament, is the responsibility of the president. He is in charge of it. In fact, he was kind enough to take the trouble of flying to Peshawar for a meeting with the tribal elders, donating huge amounts for the economic development of the area. His government, he promised, would take urgent steps towards bringing the people of that area at par with the rest of the people of Pakistan. The tribesmen are hearing such promises for the last 62 years. This seems to be one such promise as nothing has happened so far.
The president is not only in charge of FATA but is also the supreme commander of the armed forces as well. Prudence demands that he visit battle-torn areas including South Waziristan, where our troops are sacrificing their lives, to boost the morale of soldiers and interact with tribesmen. His visit will leave a lasting impact on soldiers and locals alike. What has he done instead? He has shut himself up in the bunkered presidential palace in Islamabad, and has started ordering the purchase of expensive bullet-proof cars for ministers and other senior functionaries of his government. These officials should come out of the bunkered city of Islamabad if they are serious about fighting militancy. This nation can hardly afford the luxury that Zardari and his cronies are living in. The tribesmen in FATA and other Pashtuns in NWFP are getting killed by the hundreds on a daily basis. Waziristan and Peshawar are burning, while life in other cities goes on unaffected. What kind of a nation are we? We are not agitating, expressing our concern, pressuring the members of parliament to do what they are supposed to do, instead of wasting time and energies defending shady deals and bills such as the NRO. What are we up to?
We still have time to rise to the occasion if we want to live as a nation together. We must make decisions reflective of the national aspirations to get rid of this menace. We failed once and lost half the country. We cannot afford to fail again. Let us wake up and face the problem with wisdom and grit. Waziristan, after all, is a part of this country.
The writer is a former ambassador. Email: waziruk@hotmail.com
