Fake vaccine project: Government suspends Dr Shakil Afridi

Dr Afridi ran a fake hepatitis campaign in Abbottabad, to provide CIA with DNA samples of bin Laden's children.

ISLAMABAD: The government has suspended Dr Shakil Afridi from his job for allegedly assisting CIA in its covert operation against Osama bin Laden, Express 24/7 reported on Saturday.

A departmental inquiry has been initiated against Dr Afridi, who is already in the custody of intelligence agencies.

Sources said the doctor ran a fake hepatitis campaign in Abbottabad, to provide CIA with DNA samples of bin Laden's children.

A British newspaper, Guardian, reported that the CIA launched a fake vaccination drive in Abbottabad to gather the DNA information of bin Laden’s family. It said that Khyber Agency Surgeon Dr Afridi arranged a private vaccination campaign under the pretext of a CIA programme to trace the al Qaeda leader in Abbottabad.

Action was initiated against him and some other provincial health department officials for running a fake hepatitis vaccine campaign.

The United States is reportedly asking Pakistan to release the doctor so that he and his family could be transferred to America as a reward for helping CIA.