Shakil Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in jail on May 24, 2012. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
US officials have hailed Afridi as a hero for helping pinpoint bin Laden's location before the secret May 2011 raid by US special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan, after more than a decade of searching.
Judicial official Sahibzada Mohammad Anees ordered a new trial on the grounds that another official had exceeded his authority when handing down last year's sentence. Afridi remains in custody.
"The assistant political agent ... did not have the authority to award 33 years' imprisonment to Dr Shakil Afridi," said the written judgment. "The assistant political agent played the role of a magistrate for which he was not authorised."
A political agent and his assistant are representatives of the Pakistani government in the tribal areas, which are not covered by the country's judicial system.
Afridi's sentence further damaged ties between Pakistan and the United States when they had already strained over the bin Laden raid. Angry US senators symbolically withheld $33 million in aid from Pakistan in retaliation.
Relations since then have slowly improved but there remains plenty of residual distrust on both sides.
Lawyer Samiullah Afridi said Afridi plans to submit an application for an early hearing.
Afridi was accused of running a fake vaccination campaign, in which he collected DNA samples, that is believed to have helped the American intelligence agency track down bin Laden.
Pakistani officials initially said Afridi would be tried for treason for helping the United States, but court documents showed he was jailed for being a member of a militant group, Lashkar-e-Islam.
Afridi denied the charges and a spokesman for the group said they had no ties with him.
"Shakil was himself kidnapped by militants," Afridi's lawyer told Reuters. "He had to pay a lot of money for his release. There is no question that a person like him would treat militants or give them funds."
Afridi's new trial will be conducted under the auspices of the political agent of Khyber Agency, Anees said in his statement.
Anees is a commissioner with responsibility for law in Pakistan's tribal areas.
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Hear,what says the Master vioce, and release him by making modification in the process.
Evry thing is in procgress to release him, a sfe passage is being prepared,that's all.
@Aamir - Toronto: Because information he provided led to confirmation of OBL's presence.
Bhai Wah !!
A step in a right direction . I hope judiciary will also consider the case of Musarraf with the same spirit .@Waseem: Is it against Pakinstan's law to become legal citizens of another country?
@Bait: What is Aafia?
@Shamim: And, what's wrong?
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks: What's wrong with the Dr's covert operation? He didn't harm no one, in fact he helped both govts to zero in on OBL.
@Average Joe Bodybuilder: Your proof?
@ Ali,
Good argument.
Naeem Khan, from Manhattan...Accept my respects to you for your thoughts. Loved reading every word of it. Much respect for you from an Indian.
I will say, "Bravo" to Dr Afridi! Great man!!
Everything was already fake & now all this. Thanks to the Sharifs. IP gasline done, Gawadar port done & now this. Great job MR Sharif.
A woman who has links with al qaeda is very dear to us and the man who helped to killed world no 1 terrorist, we simply put him in jail. Let made it simple if you talking terrorist side then why you hiding it and if not why you doing this double game.
@Np
If he is not an CIA agent then why US would be interested in his release ???
AAfia and Malala are probably the two most respected living Pakistani's recognized outside of Pakistani borders. Unfortunately both are hated by many Pakistani's because they are reminders of Pakistan's association with terrorism. . Overturning the sentence was appropriate - would have been better had he been acquitted since the charge of terrorism was ridiculous. Lets hope he's provided an attorney the next time around.
@Waseem: I do agree with what NP is saying , he was paid to run this fake vaccination program and that is his fault, he should be tried and punished for this crime, not any other. Perhaps you should look at Aafia's record, what was she doing in Afghanistan, we know for sure that she got involved with some unsavory people. By the way I was asked to go to Afghanistan to be a translator as I am a Pukhtun from Mardan but I refused and will never be a cause for any one's misery specially the Pukhtun people. Personally I am very satisfied with the fate of OBL, he has blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands. You should have seen the heart wrenching scene when the innocent people were jumping from the Twin Towers in New York City, at the same time my heart also goes out to those innocent people being killed in Iraq ,Afghanistan and in FATA by the Americans, it borders on criminality but no one has been brought to justice. You see MIGHT IS RIGHT.
@Bait: And pakistani Judiciary as ever obliging under doctrine of neccessity(raymond davis) will oblige even under new leadership.
* He'll join Malala for complete the mission of western interest very soon.*
It is so strange that while Dr.Afridi worked in Abbottabad where this so called crime took place by running a fake vaccination program. If the crime has taken place in Abbottabad then he should be tried in Abbottabad and not in the Tribal Area by a political agent which by the way is the same what the British used to do while they were the masters of their colony. When would the Pakistanis ever get rid off this colonial mind set and bring democratic rule in FATA too. It seems Pakistan's judiciary is on the mend and is getting stronger by the day, I think the decision by the judicial official is the right one and let the law of the land prevail and take the politics out of judicial matters. Let the court decide what kind of punishment he deserves by running a fake vaccination program.
@Average Joe Bodybuilder: Grow your brain not your body.
@Waseem: Who has confirmed that Afridi is a CIA agent? He was not convicted for that ou know. Has anyone ever proved that he was aware that it was CIAbehind the idea of using an unauthorized medical camp to get the DNA? NO.
@Bait: Dream on.
Malala is the real pride for pak..........
She should be now consisered as a national symbol for her sacred cause......
High time to release him with honor and respect, He deserves the highest national award if Pakistan was not involved in, and show off that we were not accomplices to Osama Bin Laden.
Fake ... OBL died in late 2001 early 2002. The rest is all window dressing and American state terrorism
Afridi is confirmed CIA agent. Afia is confirmed American citizen. What Pakistan has to do with these two individuals who have intentionally disowned Pakistan.
I fear about the fate of this doctor --- If he could see the light of the courtroom.
Re-trial should ordered for those who keep Osama-bin-Laden in Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul, for about a decade. Also, investigation should be done if Osama Laden took any class/ lectured in PMA.
Aafia is coming and he is leaving pak. that is the whole story, rest is just......
This is all in preparation for his release n immigration to #US ...
Looks like the Aafia for Afrid trade is on!