Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised Pakistan for its treatment of Dr. Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the US locate and eliminate Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden responding to a post by US Congressman Brad Sherman who urged a visiting Pakistan to press for Dr. Afridi’s release.
Taking to socila media platform X, Sherman wrote,“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. Freeing Dr. Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11.”
Reacting to the statement, Tharoor, who is currently leading an All-Party Parliamentary Delegation from India to the USt, said: “A welcome reminder by Rep. @BradSherman that Pakistan 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!”Dr Shakil Afridi is a Pakistani doctor who helped the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
Afridi served as the senior health official of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. In 2008, he was abducted by Mangal Bagh, a bus driver turned commander of a Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Islam.The Indian delegation in the US also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue opposite the Indian Embassy in Washington, continuing a tradition observed in all the countries visited.
“Once again, as in all the countries the delegation visited, we were able to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue opposite the Embassy in Washington DC,” Tharoor posted.He further noted, “It is striking how many world capitals are adorned with statues or busts of the Mahatma, the 20th century’s greatest apostle of peace, nonviolence, and human freedom.”
Earlier the delegation held a significant meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. The Indian Embassy in Washington shared the update on social media platform X, stating:“The All Party Parliamentary delegation led by Dr. @ShashiTharoor had a warm and candid conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State @DeputySecState today.
The Indian Delegation briefed him on the atrocities of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor,” the embassy posted.Earlier on Thursday, the Delegation had an "excellent meeting" with United States Vice President J.D. Vance in Washington, briefing him about Operation Sindoor, terrorism faced by India and regional security.