Security concerns: Dr Shakil Afridi’s lawyer seeks retrial at Peshawar Jail

Says it will be unsafe for his client to travel to Jamrud.

PESHAWAR: Dr Shakil Afridi’s lawyer on Monday filed an application in the office of Khyber Agency’s political agent, requesting Afridi’s retrial be shifted to Peshawar Central Prison instead of Jamrud sub-division because of security reasons.

In the application, Samiullah Afridi stated it was dangerous to bring Dr Afridi for a retrial to Jamrud, especially after the jailbreak incidents of Bannu and DI Khan. Dr Afridi is accused of helping the CIA track down Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in May 2011.

“In the wake of terrorism activities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and after two jailbreaks in Bannu and DI Khan, it would not be possible to take the risk of bringing my client to Jamrud for retrial ordered by the FCR Commissioner,” said Samiullah.



In May 2012, Dr Shakil Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in prison and a fine of Rs320,000 was imposed on him by the assistant political agent of Bara, Khyber Agency for helping banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Islam. On August 29, FCR Commissioner Sahibzada Anees overturned Afridi’s sentence and ordered a retrial be conducted with the political agent (PA) of Khyber Agency as sessions judge.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2013.