High treason case ordered against doctor who helped CIA

Dr. Shakil Afridi

Πηγή: The Nation
Oct 7 2011


ISLAMABAD - The Inquiry Commission on Abbottabad Operation met on Thursday under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal.

The Commission conducted interview of the Director General ISI to know his perspective about the Abbottabad incident. The Commission also took following decisions:

a) The Commission has taken statements and investigated the wives and daughters of Osama Bin Laden. They are no more required to the Commission. Consequently, restraining order issued vide letter under reference may be treated as withdrawn to the extent of OBL family.

b) In view of the record and evidence placed before the Commission in relation to Dr Shakeel Afridi, the Commission is of the view that prima facie, a case of conspiracy against the State of Pakistan and high treason is made out against him. Therefore, a case under relevant law should be registered against Dr Shakeel Afridi and he should be proceeded in accordance with Law.

c) The alleged OBL compound/house at Abbottabad should be handed over to civil administration of Abbottabad for disposal in accordance with relevant law.

Agencies add: Dr Shakeel Afridi ran a phony vaccination programme in Abbottabad where the Al-Qaeda leader hid in an effort to obtain a DNA sample from him. Afridi is being detained by an intelligence agency. American officials want him released, and his fate has become a complicating issue in strained relations between the two country’s spy services.

The government commission investigating the bin Laden affair said Thursday it had gathered evidence against Afridi that was strong enough for authorities to register a case of high treason against him. Such a charge carries the death penalty.

The commission also said it had lifted travel restrictions on the Al-Qaeda leader’s family after taking statements and investigating his widows and daughters. The commission said a case of treason should be brought against government surgeon Shakeel Afridi whom security officials believe may have known about bin Laden’s presence and shared the information with US intelligence agents.

Afridi is being questioned over a free vaccination campaign he reportedly launched in March-April in the bin Ladens’ neighbourhood. “In view of the record and evidence placed before the commission in relation to Dr Shakeel Afridi, the commission is of the view that prima facie, a case of conspiracy against the state of Pakistan and high treason is made out against him,” the commission said in a statement. “Therefore, a case under relevant law should be registered against Dr Shakeel Afridi and he should be proceeded in accordance with the law.” The commission, however, lifted travel restrictions on bin Laden’s family. It said: “They are no more required to the commission. Consequently, restraining order may be treated as withdrawn to the extent of bin Laden’s family.”

The commission interviewed the widows and daughters and the head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, Ahmad Shuja Pasha, on Wednesday.

The commission also directed that the bin Laden compound “should be handed over to civil administration of Abbottabad for disposal in accordance with relevant law”.

The commission, which the government set up under pressure from a political opposition amid criticism that an internal military inquiry would not be objective, has the power to summon military and civilian leaders.

Headed by retired Supreme Court judge Javed Iqbal, the other members of the commission are Abbas Khan, a former police commander, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, a former UN diplomat and retired general Nadeem Ahmed, who used to head the national disaster authority.

The commission also interviewed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief.

A serving ISI chief appearing before a civilian panel is a rare occurrence in Pakistan.

Senior ISI officials, including Director General Lieutenant-General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, told the commission that they knew nothing about the presence of bin Laden in the three-storey compound in Abbottabad.

The ISI chief said the Army did not have advance information about the US operation.