A Congressional resolution has been introduced in the US House of Representatives to recognise as an American hero the Pakistani doctor who helped CIA trace Osama bin Laden.
Dr Shakil Afridi was arrested by Pakistan government three weeks after Laden was killed in the US raid for accessing the al Qaeda leader’s compound and helping the US identify who was hiding in Abbottabad.
The resolution also seeks his release from the jail. Dana Rohrabacher, congressman from California, along with nine other congressmen introduced the resolution seeking to recognise Afridi as an American hero and that he be immediately released from custody by Pakistan.
Rohrabacher is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats.
“All Americans owe Dr Afridi a gratitude for what he did to help us find Osama Bin Laden and bring him to justice. He and his family have paid a terrible price at the hands of our so-called allies, the Pakistani government,” Rohrabacher said in a statement.
“We cannot continue to turn our back on Dr Afridi. He risked his life to provide the intel our forces needed to locate and eliminate Osama bin Laden and he now languishes in a Pakistani prison serving a 33-year sentence,” Rohrabacher said.
The congressman said Afridi and his family had been tortured and he was still in a desperate situation.
“It behoves us as Americans to state in a unified voice to his Pakistani captors, Dr Afridi should be freed,” Rohrabacher said.
At Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony two stars of the feature film “Zero Dark Thirty,” also spoke out about Afridi’s plight.
Jessica Chastain said “[it] breaks my heart he’s still in prison,” and Jason Clarke said “it’s wrong that he’s being held.
Behold the next CIA funded hollywood block buster
Why is no one helping this poor man???!!!. The Americans should do everything in their power to rescue him and relocate him and his family in America!!!
This is an example of the twisted sense of justice in Pakistan…they are really not sure which side they are on…should they support the terrorists? (religious fanatics say yes peaceful people say no) or should they support the west? (religious fanatics say no and peaceful people say yes)…they are the most confused people on earth…
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