US Congressman Brad Sherman has urged the Pakistani delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to ensure the release of Dr Shakil Afridi, the doctor who helped Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to track down Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.
“I urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr. Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama Bin Laden,” Sherman wrote on X.
He said: “Freeing Dr. Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11.”
Sherman said the issue of protecting the rights of minority groups in the country was discussed with the delegation.
“The protection of religious minorities in Pakistan remains an important issue,” he said. “Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system,” Sherman said.
Sherman said he emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combating terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Referring to the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002, he said: “Pearl’s family continues to live in my district, and Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region.”
Shashi Tharoor responds Sherman’s comment
Indian MP Shashi Tharoor, who is currently leading an all-party delegation in the US, said Pakistan is the only nation in the world where a person is rewarded for promoting terrorism and persecuted for exposing terrorists.
He was referring to the arrest of Dr Shakil Afridi in Pakistan.
“A welcome reminder by Rep. @BradSherman that Pakistani is the country that not only sheltered terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden (in a safe house near an army camp in a cantonment city!) but also arrested and punished the brave doctor who identified his location for the Americans. In Pakistan you are rewarded for promoting terrorism and persecuted for exposing terrorists!” he said.
Several Indian all-party delegations visited multiple cities across the globe to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan’s links to terrorism.
