Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s mother passes away in Karachi

KARACHI – Ismat Siddiqui, the mother of Dr Aafia Siddiqui who is serving a jail sentence in an American prison, passed away in the country’s seaside metropolis Karachi on Saturday.

Her death was confirmed by Pasban e Pakistan President Altaf Shakoor. The 80-year-old was suffering from multiple disorders. Ismat Siddiqui left behind three children including Dr. Aafia.

A spokesperson of Aafia Moment told local media that her funeral prayers will be offered today after Isha prayers at Madina Mosque in Gulshan-e-Iqbal while burial will take place at Nabat Chowk Gabol Cemetery.

Earlier this week, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui appealed to the nation to offer special prayers for the recovery of her mother.

Several politicians and activists expressed sorrow over Ismat Siddiqui’s passing.

ڈاکٹر عافیہ صدیقی کی والدہ محترمہ عصمت صدیقی کے انتقال کی خبر سن کر نہایت دکھ اور دلی افسوس ہوا ہے۔
دو عشروں تک ان کی آنکھیں اپنی بیٹی کی راہ تکتی رہیں، ہر حکمران نے وعدہ کرکے دھوکہ دیا، واشنگٹن جانےوالوں نے کبھی عافیہ صدیقی کا نام تک نہ لیا۔ قوم کی بیٹی بارے یہ رویہ شرمناک ہے

— Siraj ul Haq (@SirajOfficial) July 2, 2022

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un

Asmat Siddiqui, mother of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist jailed in the U.S. passed away today morning.

May Allah SWT rest her soul in eternal peace.

— Naimat Khan (@NKMalazai) July 2, 2022

Last week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the family of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving a jail term in US, in acquiring US visa.

Dr Aafia, a graduate of MIT, was arrested by the US forces for her suspected links to Al Qaeda and was given an 86-year sentence in 2010 for attempted murder. She is serving this sentence at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Carswell in Texas.

Shortly after the arrest of alleged 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, whose nephew Siddiqui was married to, Dr Aafia and her three children disappeared in the port city of Karachi.

Five years later, she appeared in neighbouring Afghanistan, where she was arrested by local forces in the restive southeastern province of Ghazni and later handed to US forces who questioned her.

It is unclear where Dr Aafia was between her 2003 disappearance in Pakistan and her 2008 reappearance in Afghanistan, with her supporters claiming she was the victim of a secret Pakistan-US plot.

Pakistan seeks consular access to Dr Aafia Siddiqui in US amid death rumours

At her trial in New York in 2010, she said she was detained for a "long time" in a "secret prison" in Afghanistan. Her supporters said she was the "ghost prisoner" in Bagram, serial number 650, but this is denied by the US.