In 2011, Osama bin Laden was found and killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan—thanks in part to Dr. Shakil Afridi.
He was the Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA confirm bin Laden’s location through a fake vaccination campaign. Today, while the world remembers the takedown of al-Qaeda’s chief, Afridi sits in a Pakistani prison—forgotten, punished, and silenced.
What does this say about Pakistan’s war on terror?
It says this: helping catch the world’s most wanted terrorist makes you a criminal in Pakistan—especially if you worked with the Americans to do it. This isn’t just about one man. It’s about a system that rewards silence and punishes action.
The Doctor Who Helped the CIA
Dr Shakil Afridi was working in Pakistan’s tribal areas when he was approached by the CIA. His job? Run a fake hepatitis B vaccination campaign in Abbottabad to gather DNA from people living in the compound where bin Laden was hiding.
The plan worked. US Navy SEALs stormed the compound in May 2011 and killed bin Laden. Afridi’s role, while still debated in terms of direct impact, was key in narrowing down the search.
Also Read IMF Furious as Pakistan Slashes Development Funds to Feed Military Spending
Hailed in America, Hunted at Home
In the US, Dr Afridi is seen as a hero. But in Pakistan, he’s called a traitor. Why? Because he worked with a foreign agency without informing the Pakistani military or intelligence. Embarrassed by the raid and the exposure of bin Laden’s hideout near a top military academy, Pakistan needed a scapegoat.
Afridi was arrested soon after the raid. But instead of charging him for aiding the CIA, he was sentenced in 2012 to 33 years for alleged ties to a militant group, Lashkar-e-Islam. Everyone knows it was a cover-up.
His sentence was later reduced, then overturned, yet he remains behind bars. Legal access is blocked. His family faces threats. And his only real “crime” was helping to catch a terrorist the world had been chasing for a decade.
The US Wants Him Freed
Recently, US Congressman Brad Sherman raised Afridi’s case with Pakistani officials. He urged them to release the doctor and called it a step toward justice for 9/11 victims. He also criticized Pakistan for hosting terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which still operate freely.
Met with @BBhuttoZardari, #Pakistan’s Ambassador Sheikh & House Foreign Affairs leadership for a candid conversation about regional tensions following last month’s India-Pakistan conflict, democracy in Pakistan, & counterterrorism in the region. 1/5 pic.twitter.com/NEbcGfY8TS
— Congressman Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) June 5, 2025
Pakistan’s habit of jailing allies and sheltering enemies has not gone unnoticed. From JeM to Lashkar-e-Taiba, terror outfits thrive—while whistleblowers like Afridi rot in prison.
What This Really Says About Pakistan
Dr Shakil Afridi is more than a prisoner. He’s a symbol. A reminder that Pakistan’s war on terror has always had two faces—one for the world, and one for its own backyard.
If you expose terrorists, you’re the problem. If you hide them, you’re protected.
And that, more than anything, is why Afridi remains in jail—and why the world should keep asking: whose side is Pakistan really on?
Also Read End of Feud? Musk’s Shock Move Ignites Buzz of Trump-Musk Alliance 2.0
