Pak court orders to frame case against doctor who helped CIA

A Pakistani court has directed authorities to prepare a case against jailed doctor Shakil Afridi, who helped the CIA track down al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, for alleged involvement in anti-state activities.
The direction has been issued in a detailed verdict by Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) Commissioner on the appeal of Afridi against his conviction for involvement in anti-state activities by supporting the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Islam.
The details of the verdict given by the FCR commissioner, who upheld Afridi's conviction by an assistant political agent (APA) over links with a proscribed organisation in Bara, Khyber Agency, were released yesterday.
"(The) Political Agent Khyber (Agency) is directed to further adduce the evidence in consultation with the concerned intelligence agencies and prepare a case against the appellant, both under Federal and provincial laws, for further proceedings in the competent court of law," Commissioner Munir Azam ordered.

In its short order dated March 15, the commissioner had upheld Afridi's conviction but reduced his sentence from 33 years to 23 years imprisonment and fine from Rs 3,20,000 to Rs 2, 20,000.
About the charges of having links with the CIA, the APA had in his judgment of May 23, 2012, mentioned that there was ample evidence collected by the Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) against Afridi, regarding his involvement in activities against the state in collaboration with foreign intelligence agencies.

However, the APA had said the evidence could not be taken into account for the lack of jurisdiction and had recommended that it may be produced before the relevant court for further proceedings under the law.

The doctor, who was arrested immediately after the May 2, 2011 operation by US commandos that killed bin Laden, was convicted for treason over alleged ties to militant group Lashkar-e-Islam.
The al-Qaeda chief was killed in a unilateral US military raid in the garrison town in May 2011, sending bilateral relations into a spin and embarrassing Pakistan's powerful military.
A tribal court in the semi-autonomous Khyber Agency had sentenced Afridi, who is currently being held at the central prison in Peshawar.
Legal experts and rights activists had challenged the verdict.
The US has been pressing Pakistan for the release of Afridi.