Lawyers of Shakil Afridi – sentenced to 33 years on charges of links with a militant group- did not appear before the court of Khyber agency political agent on Tuesday.
“We have already filed an appeal before Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) tribunal for review of August decision,” remarked Latif Afridi, counsel for Shakil Afridi, while talking to Pakistan Today on Tuesday. He said that hearing of the review petition is fixed for October 30; therefore, they did not turn to the court of the political Agent.
The Peshawar commissioner in his verdict had set aside the decision of the political administration and directed the retrial of Shakil Afridi, but the Khyber Agency political agent has refused to listen to the arguments of the lawyers and attorneys.
Instead of a retrial, the Khyber Agency political agent is bent upon making decisions according to jirga proposals. On such grounds, the lawyers have filed a review petition before FCR tribunal.
Shakil Afridi had been sentenced to 33 years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 320,000 on the charges of extending financial help to banned Lashkar-e-Islam. Afridi was picked up by secret agencies in May 2011 on the charges of a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad.
