Pak in talks with US over Dr.Aafia’s detention, hopes to hear good news soon : Malik

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that the government is in talks with the US agencies over Al-Qaeda terror suspect Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s detention, and hoped that she would be set free soon.

A statement issue by the Interior Ministry said Islamabad has been discussing the issue with Washington and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was personally looking into the matter.

“Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is innocent so she will never plead guilty, the Interior Ministry has taken up this issue again with US administration on the directives of Prime Minister himself,” The News quoted the statement, as saying.

The statement said President Asif Ali Zardari had also taken up the issue with US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates during his recent Pakistan visit.

Siddiqui, who is currently detained by the US, has been charged for shooting at her US interrogators in Afghanistan in July last year.

Aafia’ s lawyer Charles Swift has denied the charges on the neuroscientist, saying there was no evidence that she ever fired on the US officials.

“The soldiers had given different versions of where she was when the M-4 was allegedly fired and how many shots were fired,” Swift had said earlier.

Aafia faces up to 20 years in prison on the attempted murder charges and life in prison on the firearms charge. (ANI)