PESHAWAR: Commissioner Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) Saturday reserved judgment in Dr Shakil Afridi case which will be announced on March 15 after the defence and prosecution complete their arguments.

The case submitted to the Fata Tribunal for retrial was referred to the commissioner FCR for decision on December 18, 2013.

Dr Afridi's lawyers Samiullah and Qamar Nadeem, who had filed the appeal on behalf of their client requested the court to declare the judgment null and void.

The defense counsels also contended that Shakil Afridi should be given a chance and be heard by a jirga under the FCR laws and there should be a fair trial of the case, also giving the right of bail to their client.

After hearing the arguments, Commissioner FCR Capt (retd) Munir Azam reserved his judgment for March 15.

Dr Afridi had allegedly helped the CIA by running a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad a month before the US forces raid on a compound that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011.

He was sentenced to 33 years in prison and fined Rs320,000 on charges of colluding with Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) and its chief Mangal Bagh in 2012.

However, the tribal court had not entertained evidence relating to Dr Shakil Afridi’s involvement with the CIA, citing lack of jurisdiction.

His sentence was overturned last year in August and a retrial was ordered.