'Osama doc' Afridi faked LeI kidnapping in hope of asylum in U.S., say investigators

Peshawar, July 26 (ANI): Pakistani doctor, Shakil Afridi, was offered help in seeking asylum by another Pakistani doctor in the U.S. who said Dr. Afridi would have to convince the judge that he was kidnapped by Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) militants, an investigation has revealed.

Dr. Afridi, who had helped the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency track down Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden to his Abbottabad compound in May 2011, was not kidnapped by the LeI, as was claimed by him.

According to a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report, he went along with LeI extremists to treat their injured comrades, The Express Tribune said.

The JIT report claims that Dr. Afridi frequently met with Khyber Agency-based extremist groups after his appointment as in-charge of the Dogra Hospital in 2008.

According to the JIT report, Dr. Afridi has confessed that he had five 'handlers'- Kate, Toni, Sara and Suee. He also confessed to have met the handlers 22-23 times.

Dr. Afridi was assigned the phony vaccination campaign, which led the CIA to the Bin Laden hideout, while Toni was his handler.

In January 2011, Suee asked Dr. Afridi to carry out a hepatitis-B vaccination campaign in Bagh, Muzafarabad, Mansehra and Abbottabad, meant for women between 15 and 45 years of age.

A 'prominent house' in the town- Bin Laden's compound- had refused to cooperate with the vaccination staff. Lady health workers told Dr. Afridi that the house belonged to two brothers from the Waziristan region.

Dr. Afridi was reportedly paid Rs.5.3 million for carrying out the fake vaccination drive.

Dr. Afridi had handed over the vaccination kits to Suee. On May 5/6 Suee called up the doctor and asked him to flee to Afghanistan immediately because his phony vaccination campaign had helped the CIA track down and kill Bin Laden in his Abbottabad compound.

Dr. Afridi, however, refused to go to Afghanistan because he thought that he had nothing to do with the Al-Qaeda chief's death. (ANI)