Pak Doctor who Helped CIA Track the Al-Qaeda Leader, On Hunger Strike in Jail

Islamabad: The doctor, who helped the CIA to locate and kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, has launched a hunger strike from his prison cell. His lawyer and family gave this information on Monday (2 March). Shakeel Afridi has been in jail for several years since his fake vaccination programme helped US agents track and kill the Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in 2011. Shakil Afridi was jailed for 33 years in May 2012 after he was convicted of having ties to terrorists, a charge he has always denied.

After meeting Afridi who was jailed in Punjab province, his brother Jamil Afridi said, “This is to protest the injustice and inhuman treatment done against him and his family.” His lawyer Qamar Nadeem also confirmed the hunger strike.

Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in prison in May 2012. He was sentenced by the court for his links with terrorists. His sentence was later reduced to 10 years. Some US lawmakers called the case a revenge for the help they had received in search of the Al Qaeda leader.

The assassination of Osama Bin Laden in 2011 caused huge trouble for Pakistan, especially for its powerful army. Afridi was not allowed to meet his lawyer for many years while the hearing on his appeal against the sentence was delayed. His family also complained of being targeted and harassed by the authorities for years. US President Donald Trump had promised during his election campaign that he would order Pakistan to release Afridi, but after winning the elections, he remained silent on the issue.