ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has formed a committee to make recommendations to the cabinet to facilitate Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s repatriation to Pakistan, said an official announcement on Saturday.
However, the composition of the committee remains a mystery with even the interior ministry’s spokesman unaware about it.
“I am not aware of the composition and do not even know if such a committee has been formed,” Interior Ministry spokesman Umar Hameed said.
Dr Siddiqui, declared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the most wanted female terrorist facilitator, is serving an 86-year prison term in the US.
Dr Siddiqui and her family have denied all allegations levelled by the US against her, including a murder attempt during her days in the US army base at Bagram, Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, an official told Dawn that composition of a task force on missing persons had almost been finalised, adding a formal announcement to this effect was expected next week.
The task force will prepare a list of missing persons after holding deliberations with security agencies, their families and human rights organisations and propose ways and means for their early return.
The task force will also look into the recommendations prepared by a commission on missing persons headed by retired Justice Javed Iqbal. The interior minister said the task force must be in place by next week for preparing a transparent policy in the light of the Supreme Court’s orders on the issue. He said processing of mercy petitions should be restarted and all processed cases be sent to Aiwan-i-Sadr for decision.
The minister asked Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Secretary Younus Dhagha to step up investigation into the recent murder of 11 tourists at the base camp of Nanga Parbat and keep him posted about the progress.