(London Feb 09 2010) Lord Nazir of Rotherham hosted an urgent meeting at the House of Lords to discuss Dr Afia's predicament with the members of Pakistani community and the media in the UK. The guest speakers included Mr Sagheer Cage Prisoners, Ms. Rabia Zia, Lord Sheikh, Yvonne Ridley, Mohammed Sarwar MP, Barrister Abid and Mr Shakir. Lord Nazir recapped the events leading to Dr Afia's arrest in Afghanistan & her being taken to the US. He told all of her torture, her humiliation, her courage, her bravery, her resilience and her suffering. Lord Nazir highlighted the ongoing efforts of Yvonne Ridley and Chairman PTI Imran Khan to demand her return to Pakistan. Lord Nazir asked all to work together and escalate Dr Afia's suffering by lobbying with the local MPs, starting a petition and launching a media campaign. He said that there are a million Pakistanis in the UK so a demonstration will only be effective if we have large numbers turning up on the day i.e. at least 2000/3000 people.
Rabia Zia, PTI UK, highlighted the fact that it was PTI and Chairman Imran Khan who gave their support to Yvonne Ridley in 2008 where at a press release Ms. Ridley revealed that there is a woman prisoner in Bagram. Following this press release in Pakistan & after denial by the Pakistan and the American governments, it turned out that prisoner 650 was Dr Afia. Since then PTI UK has been working with Yvonne Ridley and Cage Prisoners & highlighting Dr Afia's plight and demanding the Pakistan Government to get her back home. PTI UK have held many demonstrations, have campaigned via petitions, issued press releases etc. Ms Zia said that we must not forget the other hundreds of missing people of Pakistan. She said that Pakistan Government should be ashamed of handing over their own citizens to foreigners and hopes that Chief Justice Iftekhar Chaudhary will take up this issue. Ms Zia re-iterated Chairman Khan's message to the Government of Pakistan namely 1) how did Dr Afia land in Bagram & who was involved in getting her there. 2) How can a frail woman attack US soldiers. 3)Why does the Pakistan government not demand her return 4) Who aided and abetted the kidnapping of Dr Afia and why have these people not been exposed and punished. Ms Zia expressed her disappointment and sadness over all the muslim leaders who remain silent on this matter & said that it is time that the people of Pakistan take things into their own hands and launch a campagin to free Dr Afia.
Yvonne Ridley said that in 2008, it was Lord Nazir who backed her claims of women being present in Bagram including Mr. Imran Khan. She said that she did not expect Dr Afia to get justice from the US. She said that PTI and Imran Khan gave her full support to find justice for Dr Afia. She reiterated Lord Nazir's views of demonstrations being ineffective when only a handful come out and said that this time the focus should be to hold rallies, demonstrations in Pakistan. She said that hundreds of people will come out in Pakistan as they realize the injustice & humiliating treatment being meted out to Dr Afia. She said that we need to launch a massive campaign and ask Prime Minster Gillani to do whatever it takes to bring Dr Afia back to Pakistan where she can face the charges against her. She said that Dr Afia will get justice in Pakistan and that although we have a battle on our hands we will come through for Dr Afia. We must also lobby with our local MPs as well as all the Pakistani embassies abroad.
Mohd Sarwar MP said that his sympathies lie with Dr Afia's family and that we do not believe in justice from America. He congratulated Lord Nazir for always taking a stand for justice and for principles, sometimes at the expense of his own political career. He said we need a huge campaign and we need to exert maximum pressure on President Obama to release Dr Afia.
