US congressmen want US citizenship for Pak doc who aided CIA to track Osama

Islamabad, Feb 5 (ANI): A group of congressmen has sought the US citizenship for jailed Pakistani doctor Shakeel Afridi, who helped the CIA track down and kill former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden last year in his Abbottabad hideout.

A congressional legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives seeking citizenship for the doctor, who is currently in a Pakistani jail for "treason".

"Today I have introduced legislation to grant American citizenship to Dr Shakeel Afridi, the Pakistan medical doctor who risked his life to identify Osama Bin Laden and help US military forces bring him to justice," the Daily Times quoted Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, as saying.

If convicted, he could be executed, the lawmaker from California said.

"My bill would grant him US citizenship and send a direct and powerful message to those in the Pakistani government and military who protected the mastermind of 9/11 for all those years and who are now seeking retribution on those who helped to execute Bin Laden," Rohrabacher said in the House of Representatives.

The Afridi citizenship bill has been endorsed by more than a dozen top congressmen, including Bill Posey and Roscoe Bartlett, he said, adding: "This bill shows the world that America does not abandon its friends." (ANI)