US to raise Afridi hunger strike with Pakistan

US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland has said that US is concerned about the safety of Dr Shakil Afridi who should never have been locked up in the first place and the issue of his hunger strike would be raised at series of forth coming meetings with Pakistan. Briefing the newsmen on Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that we believe and have believed all along that the prosecution and conviction of Dr Shakeel Afridi sends absolutely the wrong message, particularly with regard to our shared interest in taking down one of the world’s most notorious terrorists. 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, 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. She added that the US is having a series of working group meetings with Pakistan, which will give the US a chance to raise their concerns over the matter. “We want to see Dr Shakil Afridi released and safe,” said Nuland, “Dr Shakil Afridi should never have been locked up to begin with.” US has consistently called for the release of Dr Afridi, who is believed to have helped the CIA in pinpointing Osama bin Laden’s hideout in the garrison town of Abbottabad and faces a treason charge. Recently the US Senate allowed a proposed bill to be placed on its calendar for hearing which subjects payment of millions of dollars in counterinsurgency funds for Pakistan to the release of Dr Afridi among other conditions.