Pakistan

Shakil Afridi's fate to be decided by Pakistani courts: Nisar

Interior minister slams Donald Trump for saying he would ensure the doctor is freed from jail 'within two minutes'

Qadeer Tanoli/tahir Khan May 02, 2016

Interior minister addressing a press conference in Islamabad on April 11, 2016. PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar has said the fate of Shakeel Afridi is going to be decided by Pakistani courts and the government, and not by Donald Trump even if he becomes the US president.

The doctor, revered as a hero in the US, is serving a 33-year-long punishment in jail for treason.

Trump, in a recent interview with Fox News, had said he would ensure Afridi, who allegedly helped the US nab Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad, is freed from jail 'within two minutes’ if he gets elected.

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“I think I would get him out in two minutes. I would tell them [Pakistan] let him out and I’m sure they would let him out,” the Republican front-runner had said.

“Shakil Afridi is a Pakistani citizen and nobody else has the right to dictate to us about his future,” Nisar said in reaction to trump's remarks.

The interior minister asserted it was not only about Afridi but Trump’s perception and comments about Pakistan in the interview were highly misplaced and unwarranted.

Five years on, Dr Shakil Afridi languishes in jail

"Contrary to Mr Trump’s misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America. He should learn to treat sovereign countries with respect."

"Trump also seems to be ignorant, historically, of the huge scarifies Pakistan and its people have made while standing with or supporting US policies over the years.”

Trump had also said he planned to leverage US aid, “because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan. We give a lot of money to Pakistan.”

According to the interior minister, the 'peanuts' the US had given in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat Pakistan into following Trump’s misguided vision of foreign policy.

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Nisar maintained Pakistan is a country, which had suffered much and the cost it had to pay in supporting US over the years had been mind-boggling.

On Saturday, Senate chairperson Mian Raza Rabbani also lashed out at Trump for his remarks, saying Pakistan is a sovereign country and will not succumb to dictations.

COMMENTS (13)

Nikki | 8 years ago | Reply Shut up Donlad Trump.

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply Fact of the matter, when the US snaps its fingers Pakistan has no choice but to tow the line, especially since 9/11. So it's amusing to read in ET on one particular day that this high-ranking official from the US government lauds Pakistan's efforts or on another day that that US general appreciates Pakistan's sacrifices, when the bottom-line is that the US and a whole slew of countries remain deeply suspicious of the country and its people. However its seems difficult, if not impossible, for Pakistan to break the symbiotic hold resulting in the US needing yes-men in Pakistan and the same yes-men needing US money for stated intended purposes and personal avarice.

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Solomon2 | 8 years ago | Reply Yet Afridi's sentence was overturned three years ago by Pakistani courts and no retrial has taken place, nor has Afridi been released. So by demonstration Afridi's fate is NOT determined by Pakistani courts at all.

Ch. KA Nye | 8 years ago | Reply Yet another bombastic statement from our Interior Minister. Does he not realise that gone are the days when statements targeted to the Awaam are no longer just confined to Pakistan. The world has access to his ludicrous statements.

Ch. KA Nye | 8 years ago | Reply @gp65: The fools we have for a Government don't even know what you point out.

awstruck | 8 years ago | Reply Any President has significant leverage on Pakistan if he/she wants to play hardball. Even a simple step like requiring additional security checks on any ship landing in USA which has docked in Pakistan would have dramatic impact on Pakistan trade/economy - ship owners would prefer to avoid Pakistan rather than have their ships tied up in dock for lengthy inspections.

Naila malik | 8 years ago | Reply USA need to know that we had been fighting their wars.if they're least interested then let them be so.we should be more direct ,clear than to be apologetic.They owe us lot for our services over the years.Money which isnot even paid can't be the alternative of hundred thousands lives of innocent Pakistanis.our blood is equally important as any other human on earth.if Donald trump has confessed that they have a natural alliance with india or in fact all the forces against Muslims, ranging from israel to india then this is n waa expected from these western , who are but friends not enemies.

Singh | 8 years ago | Reply Is $100 Billion is peanuts Mr. Nisar? Then what will be full buffet? Please can you explain why Mr. Fatemi is in USA? Isn't it to get more peanuts (8 F16's) from uncle Sam? Why running around like headless chicken with begging bowl? Please explain all these question to good Pakistani peoples & world in large. Singh

gp65 | 8 years ago | Reply "Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar has said the fate of Shakeel Afridi is going to be decided by Pakistani courts " Please present him in front of the Pakistani courts and give him due process of law. At this time he has been imprisoned only under colonial era imperialistic FATA laws without even being given access to a lawyer.

sabi | 8 years ago | Reply someone should tell Trump that Musharraf is no more there in government.

Freeup | 8 years ago | Reply No matter how strongly Pakistan's minister reacts, at the end of the day Afridi will let go in few years. Whole OBL incident is so wrongly scripted that believing in it is getting difficult with every passing day.

Omar Sadiq | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan and its politicians......if you have any such thing called "self-respect", just DO NOT take the peanuts given by the USA and halt your contribution to this war and pick up the pieces of your country and become a "sovereign" and "respectful" nation again.

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