KARACHI: A Pakistani neuroscientist accused of "terrorism" by Washington has appealed to outgoing US President Joe Biden to grant her clemency before he hands over the reins of the country to President-elect Donald Trump, her lawyer said this week.

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a US-trained neuroscientist, was convicted in 2010 on multiple charges, including attempting to kill US nationals. She became a suspect after leaving the US and marrying a nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Siddiqui was wounded during a confrontation with US officials in Afghanistan in 2008, with some reports suggesting she shot at the Americans. She was sentenced to 86 years in prison in 2010, prompting a huge outcry from Pakistan and human rights voices worldwide.

Her lawyer claims she was visiting Pakistan in 2003 when she was abducted with her three children by Pakistan's premier intelligence agency and handed to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which took her to Afghanistan. Pakistan's intelligence agencies have denied the claims. 

Dr Siddiqui's lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, has submitted a 76,500-word dossier to Biden and is calling on the American president to pardon him before Trump's swearing-in on Monday.

"We just pray and keep our fingers crossed and I hope to goodness our clemency is granted Monday morning," Smith told Arab News late Saturday night.

"And if not, revert to plan B and plan C and plan D until we get her out of this awful place," he added.

Smith said Siddiqui was "in good spirits" when he met her on Friday at the detention facility in Fort Worth, Texas, for four hours despite her trauma. He said Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, her sister, had traveled 10,000 miles to see her sister but was only allowed 40 minutes to see her sister.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also wrote a letter to Biden in October 2024, calling for Siddiqui's release.

In the letter, Sharif stressed that several Pakistani officials had made consular visits to her in prison, raising "serious concerns" about her treatment while incarcerated.

The prime minister said her time in prison had "severely impacted her already fragile mental and frail physical health," adding: "In fact, they [the officials] even fear that she could take her own life."

Biden has until Monday to grant Siddiqui clemency. So far, he has issued 39 pardons and commuted 3,989 sentences.

According to Sky News, Smith claims a catalog of intelligence errors led to her initially becoming a suspect, citing witness testimonies that were unavailable at the time of her trial.

Smith said US intelligence "got the wrong end of the stick in the beginning" as agencies thought Siddiqui was a nuclear physicist working on a radioactive bomb "when she really did her PhD in education".

He said this happened as the US was "terrified of terrorists getting their hands on WMD (weapons of mass destruction)", adding: "She's no more of a terrorist than I am".

The US Department of Justice did not respond to Sky News.

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani humanitarian organization on Saturday announced a Rs15 billion ($54 million) “Rebuild Gaza” initiative over the next 15 months, following the announcement of a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.
The ceasefire, which begins on Sunday, comes after extensive negotiations involving Qatar, Egypt and the United States. It will end the conflict that began in October 2023, killing over 46,000 Palestinians and leaving Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins.
The Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan, which has previously carried out relief activities worth Rs5.5 billion ($20 million) in Gaza, announced the initiative during a press briefing. The new program will build on previous efforts, raising its total aid commitment to Rs20 billion ($72 million) within a little more than a year.
“The people of Pakistan have always stood by their brothers and sisters in Gaza during times of crisis, and we are hopeful they will once again contribute wholeheartedly to this noble cause,” the foundation’s president, Dr. Hafeez Ur Rehman, said, as per a statement.
The “Rebuild Gaza” plan includes providing temporary shelters, essential supplies such as food and medicines, mobile health units and ambulances.
It also aims to reconstruct five damaged schools, rehabilitate one hospital, rebuild 25 mosques and launch over 100 clean water projects.
Additionally, a residential tower will be constructed to provide housing, and 3,000 orphaned children will receive long-term sponsorship.
Dr. Rehman said the foundation, in collaboration with its partner organizations, remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering aid and ensuring the rehabilitation of affected communities in Gaza.