IN an already enigmatic case, a mysterious piece of reporting has appeared that carries potentially disruptive implications for Pakistain's most tortuous bilateral relationship. The interview of the placed in long-term storage... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not...
Dr Shakil Afridi that has been published on the Fox News website and is highly critical of the ISI prompts many questions: where and how was it carried out? How did the news hound gain access to the doctor? When Dr Afridi spoke to the news hound, was he aware that he would be quoted in a widely available interview, and did he do so willingly despite knowing he would still be at the mercy of Pak police and intelligence the next day? Knowing the answers to these is important because, for one, the fate of Dr Afridi has become a point of disagreement between Pakistain and the US, and the authenticity and reliability of such sensitive reporting on the issue needs to be established. Second, Dr Afridi appears to make broad claims about the ISI's strategies, tactics and turban links, and it is unclear what qualifies him to do so. A domestic audience may be able to determine how much is speculation and how much fact, but internationally, his words will be taken as further evidence of Pak duplicity whether or not they are rooted in actual knowledge of the ISI's links and actions.
Much of this could have been avoided if Dr Afridi had had access to a fair and transparent judicial process. Instead, carried out under the Frontier Crimes Regulation and charging him with crimes that had nothing to do with the Abbottabad
... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden....
raid, his trial has only given rise to suspicions at home and abroad that the goal of the Pak authorities is to detain him one way or another. It has also raised legitimate questions about why they want to do so despite Dr Afridi being either unaware of his role in the plot or, even if he was aware, helping to capture an enemy of both Pakistain and the US. Sadly, it is Pakistain's own dubious treatment of Dr Afridi that has left it vulnerable to the further accusations that this interview will lead to.