DHAKA: A judicial official on Thursday overturned the 33-year jail sentence of Shakil Afridi, the doctor who helped the CIA track down former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Judicial official Commissioner Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) Sahibzada Mohammad Anees ruled that the previous judge in the case exceeded his authority when handing down last year’s sentence and ordered a new trial.

Afridi’s sentence angered the United States, which withheld $33 million in aid for Pakistan in retaliation.

Afridi remains in custody and is believed to be held at the Peshawar central jail, reports dawn.com.

BDST: 1752 HRS, AUG 29, 2013
RoR/RIS