PESHAWAR: The Federally Administered Tribal Areas Tribunal has once again directed the political agent of Khyber Agency to produce record of Dr Shakil Afridi’s trial and conviction for links with banned militant outfit of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency.
Until now, the tribunal composed of Shah Wali Khan, Pir Fida and Akbar Khan has ordered the production of the record many times, but to no avail.
Dr Shakil has moved the tribunal against the upholding of his conviction by an appellate forum of the FCR commissioner.
On Thursday, the tribunal fixed the next hearing into the petition for Sept 18 after directing the political agent to produce the record of the case.
On March 15, the Frontier Crimes Regulation commissioner had upheld the conviction of Dr Shakil, who is also suspected of helping the American CIA track down Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden through a fake vaccination campaign.
However, he had curtailed imprisonment sentence given to the doctor by the court of the assistant political agent to 23 years from 33 years and that of fine to Rs220,000 from Rs320,000.
The tribunal also adjourned hearing into the Khyber Agency administration’s petition against reduction in Dr Shakil’s sentence.
The tribunal had ordered the production of the case record many times in the past to decide the petition, but to no avail.
On Thursday when the tribunal began hearing into the petitions, it was informed that the record was sent to the office of the political agent from the office of the FCR commissioner after pronouncement of the judgment on Mar 15 and the said record was with the PA.
Qamar Nadeem Afridi, lawyer for Dr Shakil, said the administration was delaying production of the record to drag on the case. Against the verdict of the FCR commissioner, Dr Shakil has filed the revision petition before the Fata Tribunal, which is the third and final judicial forum provided under the FCR.
The lawyer said the commissioner had ignored several facts while upholding the conviction of the petitioner and that his client was denied the right to fair trial and was convicted by the APA on flimsy grounds.
Dr Shakil was picked up allegedly by an intelligence agency in May 2011 on suspicion of helping the American CIA trace Osama bin Laden. However, he was not convicted on that charge.
Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014