Shakeel Afridi, a doctor jailed after helping the CIA in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, faces fresh legal turmoil after the tribunal hearing his appeal was dissolved, officials said Thursday.
Afridi was jailed for 33 years in May 2012 after he was convicted of ties to militants, though some US lawmakers said the case was revenge for Afridi helping in the search for the al Qaeda chief.
Afridi was convicted under the tribal justice system and last year a tribunal cut 10 years off his sentence. But his efforts to clear his name on appeal have been hit by long delays and adjournments and suffered another blow with Thursday’s development.
“The tribunal is no longer functional because the contracts of its members and chairman expired on January 26,” Pir Fida, a senior lawyer and outgoing member of the tribunal, told reporters. So far no replacements have been hired or plans made to renew the contracts, Fida added.
The news was confirmed by an administrative official from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Tribunal.
Fida said the tribunal “has been practically dissolved” and it is now unclear when the next hearing in the case will take place.
“They are just changing dates and adjourning cases, one after another, “Afridi’s lawyer Qamar Nadim said.