Washington: United States (US) State Department spokesperson on Thursday demanded Pakistan to release Dr. Shakil Afridi, a CIA spy who helped in locating al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden in Abbotababad, a garrison town of Pakistan.
Responding to questions on reports that Dr Afridi had gone on a hunger strike to protest against prison conditions as he serves a 33 year sentence at the Peshawar jail for aiding the militant organisation Lashkar-e-Islam, Victoria Nuland said that the US wanted safety and release of Dr. Afridi.
Nuland said that as the Secretary of State stated on previous occasions that the prosecution and conviction of Dr Afridi sends the wrong message, especially in light of the shared interest in taking down a terrorist.
“We have conveyed our stance over Dr. Afridi to Pakistan on several occasions,” she said adding that the matter would also be raised in the next meeting with Pakistani officials.
The spokeswoman further added that Dr Afridi should never have been locked up in the first place.
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