Afridi jailed for links with banned Islamist group, not CIA

, May 30: A Pakistani doctor, who helped

track Osama bin Laden, was sentenced to 33-years in jail by a tribal court on charges of links with the banned Lashkar-e-Islam militant group and its chief Mangal Bagh and not for his involvement with the American spy agency.

The four-member tribal court in Khyber Agency did not entertain evidence related to Shakeel Afridi's involvement with the CIA, saying it did not have the jurisdiction to consider this issue, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The court recommended that Afridi should be produced before a relevant court for further proceedings for his links with the CIA, the paper quoted court documents as saying.

The tribal court's order has left the option open for Afridi's trial in another court under the treason law that entails the death penalty.

PTI