Plight for freedom: Shakil Afridi’s hearing postponed due to commissioner’s absence
Lawyers from both sides said FCR commissioner engaged in other official matters.
The proceedings were then adjourned and the next date of hearing fixed for February 15. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
PESHAWAR:
The hearing of a review petition regarding Dr Shakil Afridi was adjourned on Thursday as the commissioner of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) was not present due to engagements elsewhere.
Dr Shakil’s counsels Samiullah Afridi and Qamar Nadeem along with the prosecution’s lawyers appeared in the court of the Peshawar commissioner, who also serves as the FCR commissioner for arguments on the review petition sent back to him by the FATA Tribunal. However, the lawyers were told the commissioner was engaged in other official matters and the hearing will not be conducted. The proceedings were then adjourned and the next date of hearing fixed for February 15.
On December 18 last year, while disposing of the review petition filed by former Khyber Agency surgeon Dr Shakil seeking fresh trials, right of bail, recording of statements in front of accused and new jirga members, the FATA Tribunal remanded the case back to the FCR commissioner, terming his late predecessor’s previous order as ambiguous and self-contradictory.
The tribunal directed the commissioner to remove the ambiguity in the first order issued by late commissioner Sahibzada Muhammad Anis.
Dr Shakil is presently incarcerated at Central Prison Peshawar for having links with banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Islam, even though that sentence has been overturned. The doctor’s real crime is of allegedly carrying out a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad at the behest of the CIA to help track down Osama bin Laden but he is yet to be charged with that crime.
The 33-year sentence granted to Dr Shakil by the Bara assistant political agent was overturned on August 29 by Anis and the political agent of Khyber Agency was directed to hear the case from scratch.
Recently, US Presdient Barack Obama signed a law that will include withholding $33 million in assistance to Pakistan till the time Dr Shakil is released from prison.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2014.
The hearing of a review petition regarding Dr Shakil Afridi was adjourned on Thursday as the commissioner of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) was not present due to engagements elsewhere.
Dr Shakil’s counsels Samiullah Afridi and Qamar Nadeem along with the prosecution’s lawyers appeared in the court of the Peshawar commissioner, who also serves as the FCR commissioner for arguments on the review petition sent back to him by the FATA Tribunal. However, the lawyers were told the commissioner was engaged in other official matters and the hearing will not be conducted. The proceedings were then adjourned and the next date of hearing fixed for February 15.
On December 18 last year, while disposing of the review petition filed by former Khyber Agency surgeon Dr Shakil seeking fresh trials, right of bail, recording of statements in front of accused and new jirga members, the FATA Tribunal remanded the case back to the FCR commissioner, terming his late predecessor’s previous order as ambiguous and self-contradictory.
The tribunal directed the commissioner to remove the ambiguity in the first order issued by late commissioner Sahibzada Muhammad Anis.
Dr Shakil is presently incarcerated at Central Prison Peshawar for having links with banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Islam, even though that sentence has been overturned. The doctor’s real crime is of allegedly carrying out a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad at the behest of the CIA to help track down Osama bin Laden but he is yet to be charged with that crime.
The 33-year sentence granted to Dr Shakil by the Bara assistant political agent was overturned on August 29 by Anis and the political agent of Khyber Agency was directed to hear the case from scratch.
Recently, US Presdient Barack Obama signed a law that will include withholding $33 million in assistance to Pakistan till the time Dr Shakil is released from prison.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2014.