The Aman Tehreek, in collaboration with the FATA Lawyers Forum, is going to file an appeal in the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) tribunal on behalf of Dr Shakil Afridi, who was sentenced to 33 years of rigorous imprisonment for helping the US by confirming al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad last year. Aman Tehrik Convener Idrees Kamal and FATA Lawyers Forum President Ijaz Mohmand on Friday held a detail meeting in Peshawar. Later, the two sides announced embarking on a legal battle in favour of Dr Afridi.
Kamal said during the meeting, the two sides signed applications for getting Dr Afridi’s signature for the attorney and also a copy of the verdict from the office of Khyber Agency assistant political agent. Both the applications have been submitted before the quarters concerned. When contacted, Kamal told Pakistan Today that Dr Afridi had made contributions in response to appeals, commitments and assurances being made in connection with the war on terror by the United States and its allies. Pakistan is not only an ally in wear on terror but even with its consents, million of rupees advertisements published in national, regional and local newspapers against al Qaeda Chief Osama Bin Laden, his other associates and leading figures from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other militant groups. Upon getting copies of APA verdict against Dr Afridi, Mohmand will form a body of legal experts for framing appeal before the FCR tribunal, who is Peshawar Division commissioner. The two also announced approaching the superior courts if the FCR tribunal go for rejecting of appeal. So far Kamal and Mohmand along with other members from both the forums have called upon the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to ensure Dr Afridi’s safety as the Peshawar Central Jail was dominated by hundreds of terrorists and militants. They have asked for him to be shifted of him to a secret place, which might be declared a sub jail. According to Kamal, Dr Afridi is one amongst those who made contribution in the war on terror and therefore deserved appreciation and not conviction.
