Dr Shakil Afridi is sentenced 33 years for spying and helping US in the Abbotabad Operation in which Osama Bin Laden was allegedly killed. The conviction was handed out under clauses 121, 123, 123-A (1) and 124-A of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). The punishment is based on his close association and terrorism based linkages with the Mangal Bagh, which is active in Bara and Tirah Valley. Dr Afridi’s imprisonment has caused the US to react sharply by levying further economic sanctions on Pakistan.
Ironically, US criticises the arrest and sentencing of Pakistani national Shakil Afridi but would not release Jonathan Pollard, a US Navy intelligence analyst, for spying for Israel. Israel granted Jonathan Pollard Israeli citizenship but US is not willing to release on any ground. It clearly shows US’ double standards in dealing with traitors. It is important to note here that exploitation of Afridi’s clandestine service by the CIA is against all norms of statecraft whereby it chose to organise clandestine espionage networks in Pakistani territory by bypassing state institutions and directly establishing contacts with an individual to serve its own ends in return for money. In a nutshell, in castigating Pakistan for taking Afridi before law for collaborating with the foreign intelligence agency, US leadership has to deliberate if they would themselves condone such uncalled for clandestine espionage cooperation on their soil.
AAYAN FAIZ
Rawalpindi
