PESHAWAR, March 29: The health department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has terminated the service of former Khyber Agency surgeon Dr Shakil Afridi for his involvement in organising an unauthorised US-sponsored vaccination campaign in Abbottabad to collect DNA samples of people living in the compound where Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden lived with his family.

Dr Afridi was arrested by security agencies in July, about two months after Bin Laden was killed by US commandos.

A notification issued by the department said Dr Afridi, a BPS-19 officer, had been removed from government service under the Efficiency and Disciplinary Rules. He was found to have been involved in anti-state activities.

The provincial government acted on a summary received in August from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas' health directorate which was not authorised to initiate an inquiry against an officer above grade 18.

The health department sent its report to the chief secretary.

According to officials, Dr Afridi ran a private vaccination campaign in Nawa Shehr and Bilal Town in Abbottabad to collect blood samples of people in the compound where the United States Central Intelligence Agency suspected Osama was living.

The officials said the health staff in Abbottabad had informed the authorities about the vaccination campaign carried out before May and the inquiry showed that it had been led by Dr Afridi.

“Dr Afridi left his place of duty for the campaign without informing his seniors and he did not report back after it was over,” the officials said. US officials have expressed concern over the safety of the accused who, being a resident of Fata, may be tried under the Frontier Crimes Regulations.

Eleven other employees who were part of the campaign were sacked some time ago.