Why Ban Ki-moon does not see 4273 agonizing days of Aafia, asks Fowzia
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: When the United Nations secretary general says that now human rights would be defended 365 days a year instead of observing one day a year as world human rights day, when Ban Ki-moon does not see the long period of 4723 days of violation of the basic rights of Pakistani mother Dr Aafia Siddiqui, asked Aafia Movement Pakistan leader Dr Fowzia Siddiqui.
She was addressing a big protest demo in front of Karachi Press Club (KPC), arranged by the Alliance For Human Rights here Wednesday.
She said the governments of Pakistan and the United States of America (USA) even do not tell us if Aafia Siddiqui is dead or alive. No one cares of the human rights when it is the matter of this Pakistani mother, she regretted.
On the occasion, protestors carried a symbolic coffin draped with the national flag of United States of America. They carried placards, banners and portraits of Aafia Siddiqui, Tamir Jackson Rice, Michael Brown, Ban Ki-moon, and victims of the drone attacks.
Dr Fowzia said is it uphold of human rights that Dr Aafia Siddiqui was kidnapped and trafficked along with her three minor children and kept in captivity for long 12 years, making her subject of the worst torture. She said Aafia is deprived of the right to meet or communicate with her family and children. She asked why the United Nations is not taking notice of this violation of human rights. She said in the case of Dr Aafia the Vienna Convention, Geneva Convention and other international laws and norms were swept under the rug. She asked why the world community and the United Nations have turned the blind eye towards this violation of basic human rights.
Dr Fowzia asked the term the ear of 2015 as the year of Dr Aafia and serious efforts taken for her release and repatriation. She said the release and repatriation of Aafia would prove the first step towards the world peace.
Jamaat e Islami (JI) leader Muhammad Yunus Barai said the United States of America on one hand posing to be a world champion of human rights and on the other the American Black people have been braving worst State torture and their basic rights are being opening violated.
Intikhab Alam Soori of Human Rights Network (HRN) said the world is waiting for justice in the case of Aafia. He said doling out justice to Aafia would be the first step towards the world peace.
Hakeem Syed Nasar Aaskri said the government is not taking any action in the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. He asked if Aafia was not a Pakistan citizen.
Nihal Hashmi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said the maltreatment with Dr Aafia Siddiqui is a blemish on the face of the United States of America.
Mrs. Shameem Kazmi of Business and Professional Women Forum said it was promised to bring back Aafia in 100 days, but the rulers forgot their own promise.
Naeem Shaikh said people of Pakistan are not awake but the conscience of the rulers is fast asleep.
Shaikh Muhammad Shakeel of Pasban said if the US government and courts are not capable of giving people justice they have no right to call the USA a super power.
Business leader Atiq Mir said the respect of a woman is not a political issue bit a national duty and for this noble cause the nation has to take to the streets.
Syed Abdul Waheed Advocate of Islamic Lawyers Movement also spoke.