- Tarar says Dar’s remarks taken out of context.
- Dar not linked to Sugar Advisory Board: minister.
- “Misleading claims on crypto echo India narrative.”
Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, saying the government was providing her with full diplomatic and legal assistance.
Talking to journalists in Islamabad, Tarar clarified that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent comments regarding Aafia Siddiqui were taken out of context.
“Senator Dar has already provided an explanation,” he said, adding that the matter was being misrepresented.
He noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally met with Dr Fouzia Siddiqui, sister of Dr Aafia, and had formed a dedicated committee to pursue the case further. “No government in the past has made such sustained efforts for Dr Aafia Siddiqui as this one,” he stressed.
The foreign minister, during his visit to US, spoke at the Atlantic Council in Washington and responded to a question concerning Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s legal proceedings by saying that a fair legal process is underway in Pakistan.
In his reply, he compared it to Dr Aafia’s prolonged incarceration in the United States, noting that her detention should not be viewed as a failure of legal procedures.
“If Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s imprisonment is the result of a legitimate legal process, then the same interpretation should apply universally,” he added.
Meanwhile today, the information minister — in response to a question —dismissed claims that Ishaq Dar was part of the Sugar Advisory Board, calling it misinformation.
He was referring to the statement given by former finance minister Miftah Ismail, who quit Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over policy differences in 2023.
Responding to a question about cryptocurrency, the minister said that Pakistan is the only country to have devised a clear regulatory mechanism. “A crypto council has been formed and relevant legislation is being implemented,” he said, while criticising unfounded allegations on the matter.
He further said that some individuals within Pakistan were echoing the hostile stance of neighbouring countries towards the country’s crypto framework. “It seems Miftah Ismail shares the same narrative on crypto as India,” he added.
Tarar said that critics were uncomfortable with Pakistan’s improving economic outlook. “It appears they cannot digest economic progress unless they are in charge of the treasury,” he remarked.
