The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has requested the federal government to get custody of Dr Shakil Afridi who is sentenced to 33 years rigorous imprisonment for helping the CIA in finding out al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.
Afridi last is in Central Jail Peshawar since his imprisonment on May 23, 2012.
The KP government has written two letters to the federal government in one year in this regard. Earlier, the former Awami National Party-led KP government had written a similar letter requesting for shifting of Dr Afridi to another prison. However, the federal government had refused in this regard.
Malik Qasim, adviser to the CM on prisons, on Sunday told reporters that the KP government had written a letter to the federal government, repeating the previous request. Qasim said that the request was made on multiple grounds, including lack of proper resources to ensure security of Dr Afridi. He said that there were serious threats to the life of Dr Afridi.
To a question, he hoped that the federal government would respond positively. In this regard, he said, secretary-level contacts and dialogues were also in progress between Peshawar and Islamabad.
To another question, Qasim said that family members and close relatives were allowed to meet Dr Afridi, adding that a procedure was evolved to ensure Afridi’s safety and protection.
Security forces are on high alert in and around the Peshawar Central Jail since Dr Afridi’s imprisonment. A contingent of Peshawar Police, security forces and intelligence agency personnel are on duty round-the- clock. A special squad is deployed inside the jail to protect Dr Afridi. No one is allowed to meet or talk to him and he gets his meals after a thorough inspection.
Dr Shakil Afridi, through his brother Jamil Afridi and counsel, has already filed an appeal against the political administration’s decision before the Peshawar commissioner. The case is being heard for the last several months.
