The capital’s High Court has directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MoFA) to question the US Ambassador to Pakistan about the reasons why the US President did not find it necessary to respond to a letter from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seeking pardon for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.

In an order issued on Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) noted that during the hearing of a petition filed by Dr Aafia’s sister Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, the government had not received a reply to PM Shehbaz’s letter sent to the US President Joe Biden regarding Dr. Aafia.

The MoFA also stated that a reminder about the letter was also sent by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, but apparently no response has been given to this reminder either. The court noted that this is quite unusual considering the diplomatic norms.

While ordering the department to submit a copy of that reminder, the court directed it to ensure that the US ambassador – permanent or acting – to Pakistan be contacted to inquire as to the reason why the White House did not “consider it fit and proper “to respond to the Prime Minister’s letter in an apparent disregard of diplomatic norms.

“[MoFA must] ensure that the contact with the American ambassador takes place at the latest by tomorrow’s closing time [Wednesday]. In its reply, the MoFA will also add a paragraph in relation to compliance with this order and the US ambassador’s reply in this regard,” it added. The IHC single-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Ishaq Khan will resume hearing the case on 24 .January.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last October wrote a letter to US President Biden requesting the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who has been imprisoned in the United States for about two decades.

In the letter, Prime Minister Shehbaz had urged President Biden to use his constitutional authority to grant a pardon and order her release on humanitarian grounds, adding that Dr. Aafia’s family, along with millions of Pakistanis, awaited this act of kindness.

The Prime Minister had noted that over the years, Pakistani officials have held consular meetings with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, during which serious concerns about her medical treatment have been raised.

There are significant concerns regarding her deteriorating mental and physical health and concerns have been expressed that she may take her own life. Dr. Aafia’s case should be viewed with compassion, he said.

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, became a polarizing figure after her 2008 arrest in Afghanistan. She was accused of trying to shoot US military personnel while in custody.

She was later extradited to the United States. In 2010, a US federal court convicted her of attempted murder and assault and sentenced her to 86 years in prison.