Kidnapping Attempt on Children of Aafia Siddiqui
[November 13, 2010, New York, NY] At approximately 4:00 PM local time today, armed gunmen broke into the home of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's family in Karachi, Pakistan. The incident was apparently a failed attempt to kidnap Dr. Siddiqui's two minor children - both of whom are US citizens, but now reside with relatives in Pakistan. It is unknown how the gunmen gained entry to the Siddiqui family home - which has been under 24-hour armed guard by Pakistani police since her eldest son, Ahmed, was returned to the family and came to live with his grandmother and aunt in Karachi in August, 2008.
The two gunmen, who were hiding in the children's bedroom, were discovered by Dr. Siddiqui's mother - Ismat. Upon opening the door of the room, Mrs. Siddiqui saw the two men, who were each armed and holding large sacks. One of the men aimed a handgun at her, and said "where are the kids?". Mrs. Siddiqui was startled and jumped back from the entryway and began to scream. Other members of the family then heard the screams and alerted the policemen who were posted outside the entry gate of the house, but who appeared to be unaware of what was happening inside. Hearing the commotion, the two gunmen then fled the scene. They were assisted by a third armed man parked in a get-away car nearby -- which allowed all three men to escape before they could be apprehended. The International Justice Network (IJNetwork), attorneys for the family of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, expressed outrage and concern over the continued safety of their clients.
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