U.S. prison official denies custodial death rumour of Pak neuroscientist Dr Siddiqui

Washington, June 21 (ANI): A spokesperson for Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, where convicted Pak neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui is serving her prison sentence, has denied rumours of the latter's death.

Spokesperson Dr Maria Douglas has vehemently denied the rumours and said that it was absolutely false that Dr Siddiqui had passed away, adding that no medical emergency has arisen, reports The Express Tribune.

Dr Siddiqui, a neuroscientist by profession and a graduate of MIT, allegedly went missing for five years before she was discovered in Afghanistan. The prosecution says that she tried to fire on a U.S. soldier during her interrogation. She has also been accused of working for the Al-Qaeda.

Her family disputes the US version of this account. She was sentenced to 86 years in prison in 2010 by a New York court.

"At our query, the prison authorities confirmed today that Dr Siddiqui was quite well. She is also in regular telephone contact with her family and, according to the authorities, last telephoned her family on 19 June 2012," said a statement issued by the Embassy of Pakistan.

"An officer from the Pakistan Consulate General in Houston visits Dr Siddiqui at the FMC prison regularly. The last such visit took place in April 2012. Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's brother has also visited her in prison," said the press release.

Earlier, text messages were circulating in Pakistan claiming that Dr Siddiqui had passed away at the prison facility. (ANI)