Loud Thinking

Posts Tagged ‘council’

All the PML’s governments Hullabaloo may not be in the love of A.S (Dr.Aafia Siddiqui) but to placate the the American government on S.A (Dr. Shakeel Afridi).

An an eye opening exposé by the daily “Pakistan Observer” published today as below:

Smoke screen

US pressure working well
Ground preparing to let Shakil Afridi go, Afridi’s jail sentence set aside

Liaqat Toor

Friday, August 30, 2013 –

Islamabad—Though the Government has denied the recent approval by the Cabinet to sign the Council of Europe Convention on the transfer of sentenced persons has anything to do with the release of Dr Shakil Afridi, but the evolving events have indicated that ground is being prepared for his happy voyage to Washington.

It was officially said the Cabinet approval will pave way for repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from the US, but it is a smokescreen with hidden agenda of releasing Dr Afridi who helped the US to track down Osama Bin London by launching a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad. At that time the US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta had confirmed Dr Afridi worked for CIA. Since then Washington has been putting pressure on Islamabad to let Afridi go. Diplomatic sources told this scribe during Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent visit to Islamabad, he discussed with Pak authorities for his release.

The events have started developing in sequence after the Cabinet approval of the Convention as on Thursday Commissioner Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) Sahibzada Mohammad Anees suspended the 33-year sentence of Afridi on the plea that the previous judge in the case had exceeded his authority and referred back the case to Political Agent of Khyber agency for retrial.

Afridi’s lawyer pleaded his client has no link with Lashkar-e-Islam, rather he was kidnapped by Lashkar-e-Islam in 2008 and ordered to pay one million rupees. At that time, the court had not entertained evidence relating to Shakil Afridi’s involvement with the CIA saying it was not under his jurisdiction.

Raymond Davis, a US agent responsible for killing of two Pakistanis in Lahore was finally travelled back to the US when Washington put pressure on Islamabad and found a way for his release.

The US will not a bandon Afridi who worked for CIA and helped them to kill their the most wanted enemy in Abbottabad.

The Prime Minister has directed the Interior Minister to fast track the process of the signing of the convention as after that the US government will be requested under the relevant provisions for the repatriation of Dr Aafia presently undergoing imprisonment in a US jail. Dr Afridi will also be the beneficiary, diplomatic sources said.

Afridi’s jail sentence set aside

Tariq Saeed

Peshawar—The FCR commissioner on Thursday set aside the sentence of Dr Shakil Afridi, who had allegedly facilitated the Abbottabad operation to hunt Osama Bin laden on May 2, 2011, a decision that may lead to opening new dimensions of the episode of Afridi who is enjoying full backing of the US government.

The Commissioner Peshawar Sahibzada Mohammad Anis, who also holds the charge of commissioner Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) ruled that the previous judge in the case exceeded his authority. He directed the Political Agent Khyber Agency to conduct new trial of Afridi who is undergoing 33 years imprisonment in central jail Peshawar amid tight security measures. He further directed that Dr Afridi could not be released before the orders of the Political Agent. This changed Dr Afridi status from convict to accused and fresh trial will be initiated against him.

Dr Afridi, who was arrested 20 days after the Abbotabad operation, was sentenced to 33 years imprisonment under 40 FCR in the court of Assistant Political Agent (APA) Khyber agency in 2011 apparently for having links with the militant organization and banned religious outfit Lashker-i-Islam.

Giving verdict on the appeal filed by Dr. Shakil Afridi lawyer against his conviction in the appellate court, the FCR commissioner observed that the court of APA has no authority to give his verdict in such a trial where as the lawyer of Mr. Afridi had also contended that the APA had no power to power to award punishment for more than seven years and that his client was not given opportunity for his defense. Shakil Afridi’s lawyer Samiullah Afridi advocate said whatever decision the Political Agent Khyber Agency may give against his client, he has the right to file appeal in the appellate court adding there was no need to shift Dr. Shakil Afridi to the Political Agent’s jail since number of prisoners from Khyber agency have already been going imprisonment in the Central Jail Peshawar.

It will be pertinent to mention here that the new Government of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa had further beefed up security around central Jail Peshawar, that is housing the doctor from Khyber agency as well as a few Taliban militants, in the first week of August.

Though apparently the step was taken following an intelligence alert and militants attack on a Dera Ismail Khan (D I K) central jail in the last week of July 2013, the insiders believe the PTI led government was more concerned about Shakeel Afridi as it has vehemently been asking the Federal Government to shift the former to some other place.

Sources believed that the Central Jail Peshawar does not only face threats from the militants specially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) but also from the “well-wishers” of Shakeel Afridi who have repeatedly been calling for his release. Those benefited by Dr. Shakeel Afridi in getting closer to the Osama Bin Laden, the man continued to shatter the nerves of Americans for long years, may not face much difficulty to penetrate into Central Jail Peshawar and whisk away their facilitator with in no time.

Shakeel Afridi who, is alleged to have carried out a fake vaccination campaign to obtain DNA of Osama bin Laden and his family for the Americans facilitating the American Navy seals to get hold of OBL, it may be recalled had also gone on hunger strike last year when security around him was tightened extraordinarily after his reported interview with the representative of American Fox TV who somehow mysteriously managed to have access to him in Peshawar Jail.

Likewise, though the lawyers of Shakeel Afridi have constantly been denying his role in the Abbotabad operation, the American administration has been all praise for the doctor from Khyber agency and expressed their concern about his well-being so many times.

Even the spokesperson of US foreign ministry Victoria Noland is on record to have said that her country wanted early release of Dr. Afridi and protection to him adding detaining Afridi and putting him on trial would send wrong message to the world and that they were taking up issue with the Pakistani government.

Both US foreign minister as well as Defense minister have raised their concern about Dr. Afridi detention and called for his release which, many believe, is on the card.

Sir, corruption is the biggest danger to the survial of Pakistan. 

Sir, there is a saying of Hazrat Ali RA, that a system of ‘Kufr’ can sustain but not a system of ‘Zulm’. And in my opinion, the biggest Zulm with the poor after injustice is corruption. In fact, injustice stems from corruption. The monumental increase in corruption has tremendously increased poverty which in turn is now breeding terrorism.