US, Pak working on legal agenda to swap prisoners Aafia, Afridi, says FO

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ANI Islamabad
Last Updated : Jul 26 2013 | 1:25 PM IST

The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson has hinted that the US and Pakistan government are working on a legal route to swap Pakistani prisoner Dr Shakil Afridi in exchange for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

Afridi, a Pakistani doctor, aided the CIA in tracking down former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan by running a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad, the Express Tribune reports.

While Siddiqui, a Pakistani imprisoned in the US, was sentenced by a US court to 86 years for having attempted to kill American soldiers, the report added.

FO spokesperson also said that Pakistan and US do not have any bilateral prisoners' exchange agreement. However, there are two regional arrangements which, if joined, could provide a basis for discussion on such issues.

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First Published: Jul 26 2013 | 1:12 PM IST

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