No deal on cards to swap Shakil Afridi with Aafia Siddiqui, says FO
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ISLAMABAD:The Pakistan Foreign Office has dismissed the reports of any deal with the US over the release of Dr Shakil Afridi.
“There is no deal on cards to with the US to exchange Dr Shakil Afridi with Hussain Haqqani or Aafia Siddiqui,” Muhammad Faisal, the FO spokesman said.
Dr Shakil Afridi was taken into custody soon after the al-Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden, was killed in a raid on his Abbottabad compound on May 2, 2011.
According to the reports, Afridi had helped the US find al-Qaeda chief by collecting DNA samples of bin Laden’s family through a fake polio campaign.
Afridi was sentenced to 33 years for involvement in anti-state activities by a tribal court in 2012.
Before being elected, President Trump made a promise that he would get Dr Shakil Afridi released in two minutes.
“I would tell them, let him out and I’m sure they would let him out,” said Trump, speaking to Fox News during his presidential campaign.
Faisal said the Prime Minister was himself overseeing the affairs of foreign ministry.
Afridi was shifted from Peshawar to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi due to security concerns few days ago.
Stressing upon the timely return of Afghan refugees to their homes, the spokesperson said Afghan refugee camps were being used by terrorist elements for their nefarious activities. APP/AFP
