Dr Shakil Afridi case: Defendants say no direct evidence available

After partial hearing, case adjourned till December 13.


Umer Farooq November 23, 2012

PESHAWAR:


The Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) Commissioner has adjourned the case of alleged CIA informant Dr Shakil Afridi until December 13 after a partial hearing was held at his office.


Advocates Samiullah Afridi and Abdul Latif Afridi represented Shakil, while Iqbal Durrani served as the counsel for Jamrud’s assistant political agent.

During Wednesday’s hearing, both advocates said there was a lack of evidence against their client, adding that he was not given a fair chance to produce his defence.

Samiullah said that it was beyond the jurisdiction of an assistant political agent to sentence someone for 33 years, adding that they can only award 14 years in punishment and that too, with a written complaint from the federal or provincial government. He added that so far none of the governments have filed any complaints against his client.



Durrani said that once somebody is charged under section 11 of the FCR, the government does not need to file a complaint. He said that whenever somebody is found guilty of a crime, a council of elders announces the verdict which is then implemented by the political administration. He insisted that the verdict against Dr Shakil was in accordance with the law.

Shakil was sentenced for aiding militant organisation Lashkar-e-Islam. He is also accused for treason for helping the US launch a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad to trace al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23rd, 2012.

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