Dr Shakil Afridi. PHOTO: FILE
According to a press statement, the resolution expressed that Dr Afridi is an ‘American hero’ and should be immediately released from Pakistani custody.
The statement said that Americans owe Dr Afridi a debt for helping find former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Congressman Rohrabacher said that Dr Afridi and his family have “paid a terrible price at the hands of our so-called allies – the Pakistani government. We cannot continue to turn our back on Dr Afridi. He risked his life to provide the intel our forces needed to locate and eliminate Osama bin Laden and he now languishes in a Pakistani prison serving a 33-year sentence.
“He has been tortured, his family has been attacked and he is still in a desperate situation. It behooves us as Americans to state in a unified voice to his Pakistani captors, Dr Afridi should be freed.”
The sponsors of the resolution include Representatives Bachmann, Gerlach, Higgins, Hunter, Lummis, Poe, Salmon, Loretta Sanchez and Stockman, the statement added.
Congressman Rohrabacher has previously introduced bills calling for Balochis to be given right of self-determination, and for Dr Afridi to be given the Congressional Gold Medal.
Dr Afridi had been working with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for years before the Bin Laden raid, providing intelligence on militant groups in Pakistan’s tribal region.
He helped the agency hunt down Bin Laden after which he was sentenced to 33 years in prison last year in May for his links to a banned militant group.
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treason is hero for american congressman? Dr. Afridi should be an examplary lesson for those are still spying for America in Pakistan.
DR.SHAKIL AFRIDI. - reminds us Pakistanis of a dark time in our recent history. The Pakistani military know how gullible we Pakistanis are so working with the CIA the ISI formulated a plan to bring UBL into the safest area of Pakistan the backyard of the military! Then then left him alone, and for years monitored him at the same time receiving monetary payments to harbor the most wanted man in the world. Once UBL felt safe and non-detectable they used DR.SHAKIL AFRIDI. as a mole to get his DNA as the US was not going to formulate the killing without a positive DNA match. If anyone believes that the Pakistani military were unaware of this mission then they are in full support of the propaganda they are being fed on a daily basis. Afia Siddique broke the law in ht US and unlike Pakistan America abides by the principles of its founding fathers if you do the crime you do the time therefor no release should be requested and she will probably NEVER get it.
Until 2 years ago, the DRONES operated from an airbase in Pakistan. The government was complicit in it's running. By inference the same court can find the government guilty of the same crime committed by DR.SHAKIL AFRIDI.
@bilal:
Correct your info Bilal. He was released AFTER Punjab government gave in to pressure from Saudi Arabia - our Mai Baap. So, Mr. Davis did no wrong in my book as he had the Saudi's rooting for his release. End of story. He paid blood money too, which I must remind you, was accepted by the deceased's family.
He is not only an American hero but a world hero in helping to capture the world biggest terrorist.
Dr Shakil Afridi committed the unpardonable crime of embarrassing Pakistan - by helping catch the Worlds most wanted terrorist he proved that Pakistan was disingenuous, incompetent, and possibly complicit in the hunt/hiding of OBL. Does he deserve an American medal - no - but he deserves to be released from prison and given Kudos by Pakistan.
One thing Pakistan should keep in mind about USA is: An elephant never forgets and the donkey's hind leg kick, is often fatal and shall definitely break your jaws.
A Democrat President, never forgot OBL and eliminated him and a Republican Congressman who has declared Dr. Afridi an American hero.
PS: Republican Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, was Pakistan's most favorite when he was supporting Pakistan against India on Kashmir.
@Sheraz: lol ... are you demanding to hand him over? lol
@abcde: She is an American citizen, numnuts. Pakistan has no right to ask for her release. May be she was born there, but she has surrendered her citizenship.
@abcde:
folowing the jirga traditions, either you or Rohrbacher could apply to take Afridi's place.
Rex Minor
@Karachities: "whether he helped CIA in capturing Osama, but he run a fake vaccine program and played with thousands innocent children lives in northern areas"
It wasn't fake vaccine and no kids were put at risk. It was an unauthorized vaccine program. There is a difference. In any case, Pakistan neither sentenced him for running the unauthorized vaccine program nor for spying for a foreign country. HE was senetenced to jail for 33 years for supporting a terrorist organization called LeI without due process of law - where he did not have a lawyer or a right to defend himself. This in a country where no other terrorist - let alone a supposed terror supporter has ever been convicted.
@Rehman Malik: US does not need any spies inside Pak. US and Pak are supposed to be allies.
@rahman: Yes friend you are right. Why should you care about any meaning ful issues. There are many other unresolved missions to focus.
US and Chuck Hagel were hot favorites just yesterday. But how fast you change your colors when subjected to hard questions? Faster than lightning speed. It is amazing position indeed.
He should be hanged ASAP, I hope he gets Noble Peace Award too...
The good doctor is already in US under the witness protection program.
what is with the tribune and congressman Rohrabacher no one cares about him in the US! the only time i hear about him is on this website.
@Salman Nisar: Its difficult to understand how come pak made a difficult nuclear bomb but unable to make simple nuclear plant? Its like having made an air-plane but finding difficult to make a cycle.
He should be incarcerated for the anti-state activities, period. He may have helped eliminate the biggest source of ill on earth but that does not overshadow the fact that he was in involved in anti-state activities by virtue of colluding with the foreign country's intelligence agency.
While I support Dr. Afridi's release, passing this resolution while keeping Bradley Manning in custody is quite hypocritical.
All the Afia Siddique comments are getting pathetic. It's like you guys don't even know anything about it and instead just pose as a concerned person because it's what the perpetual victim faction of Muslims do while standing in the middle of a group of dead minorities with a gun in hand and a single tear going down their cheek. Like most annoying people who call themselves liberal. They don't really care. But, they'll be the first to whine about something. Though the moment you have them elaborate they don't actually even have much of a reason for it. It's just the reaction they think they're supposed to have so they can sport the label self-righteously. It's an extremely shallow and pitiful way to be.
His work has been for the general people of the world, he got up and worked without caring of his own family and he would have known that the results could be very frightening but he still continued with the work. A man should be honored for such sacrifices.
Osama was wanted by the world , especially USA so how can you jail him .
he and the US is indirectly responsible for death of polio workers... a case shud be resigtered against US as well in international courts
He is a hero for all - he helped us getting rid of our enemy. Its time we say spade a spade
chuck hagel- is Pakistani hero.
whether he helped CIA in capturing Osama, but he run a fake vaccine program and played with thousands innocent children lives in northern areas. how US declared him as a hero???
Please remove his surname and then you can have him as your hero! A disguise for the nation and for the proud Afridi tribals!
our heros, your violins an your heros our violins
Villain for Pakistanis, hero for rest of the world.
@Usman: hand him over? to whom? he is a pakistani citizen for crying out loud. he has commited a crime against state for which he should be punished. USA has no role in it.
@Salman Nisar: Spoken like a true Pakistani...? Gimme gimme gimme, or else I won't do the right thing.
American leaders take your hero back to USA and give us our innocent and sinless Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.Do you agree with this deal if yes then come on and make it possible and practicable as soon as possible on top priority basis so that you could take back your hero to USA.....
He should be a Pakistani hero...We got caught with egg on our face when OBL is found here, we deny complicity, but then we throw the man responsible for getting OBL in jail.
Just in the interest of playing smart PR and saving face (if nothing else) he should have been released and (reluctantly and begrudgingly) handed a bouquet of flowers with everyone with fake smiles plastered on their faces. That would have been the smart thing to do when you are denying complicity.
@Salman Nisar:
if the claims of Pakistani scientists having developed nuclear warheads 'indigenously' are really true, then it should be a walk in the park for Pakistani scientists to build their own nuclear reactors. And if they cut down spending billions on the so called 'strategic' weapons,they will have enough funds to build a nuclear reactor. Fair enough???
chuck hagel- Pakistani hero.
handover Dr. Afia and take your so called Hero.
hand over Dr. Afia and take your so called hero.
This is going to go from bad to worse. We handled Shakil Afridi's issue badly. We should conduct a speedy trial and hand him over, rather than this becoming an embarrassment.
And Afia Siddique is heroine to us...... Make a deal & exchange them..
If ever there was a pakistani HERO , he is one. Sad you chose to put him in jail for saving lives.
raymond davis who killed innocent people is also your hero now you guys have to differentiate between the hero and insurgent.
That acknowledgement is sufficient proof for his spying.
Give us 1 Nuclear electricity power plant and take him from us, fair enough>?
yup..he is the hero!