ISLAMABAD: In the latest breakthrough, the US has offered Pakistan to sign a prisoner swap agreement for the extradition of Dr Aafia Siddiqi, after which the Pakistani scientist will be allowed to serve the remaining part of her imprisonment in her homeland.
Talking to a private TV channel, the spokesperson of the Foreign Office Umar Hameed also confirmed that the US had offered Pakistan to sign prisoner swap agreement after which both countries would release each other’s prisoners.
According to the documents acquired from the Interior Ministry, the US told Pakistan in written that the only legal way for the extradition of Dr Aafia Siddiqi was to sign the prisoner swap agreement with the US.
The US offered two deals that include European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad in this regard, the channel said.
Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the Interior Ministry had formed a task force following the US offer which held its first session on July 3 to review the agreement.
The task force was established under the directives of Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan.
The Pakistani neuroscientist was sentenced to 86 years in prison after she was convicted of grabbing a US soldier’s M-4 assault rifle and trying to shoot a group of FBI agents and soldiers at an Afghan police compound in July 2008, a charge she consistently denied during the trial.
