Washington, DC: In a sharp diplomatic nudge to Islamabad, US Congressman Brad Sherman has called on Pakistan to immediately release Dr Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the CIA locate and eliminate Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Afridi, hailed by many in the US as a hero, has been imprisoned in Pakistan since 2011.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sherman revealed his meeting with a Pakistani delegation led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. “I urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr. Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama Bin Laden,” he wrote.
Sherman added that Afridi’s release would be a “vital step toward closure for the victims of 9/11,” reinforcing the symbolic weight of the issue in US-Pakistan ties.
The Congressman also expressed concern over the treatment of religious minorities in Pakistan. He underscored the need to protect Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya Muslims from violence, discrimination, and systemic injustice.
In another firm remark, Sherman drew attention to Pakistan’s lack of action against terrorist groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed. He specifically mentioned the brutal murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002, noting that Pearl’s family lives in his district. “Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region,” he asserted.
Joining Sherman’s criticism, senior Indian MP Shashi Tharoor responded strongly. Currently heading an Indian all-party delegation in the US, Tharoor echoed the call for justice in Dr Afridi’s case. “A welcome reminder by Rep. Brad Sherman that Pakistan is the country that not only sheltered terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden… but also arrested and punished the brave doctor who identified his location,” he posted on X.
A welcome reminder by Rep. @BradSherman that Pakistani is the country that not only sheltered terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden (in a safe house near an army camp in a cantonment city!) but also arrested and punished the brave doctor who identified his location for the… https://t.co/JmyK9iS7PA
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 7, 2025
He slammed Pakistan as a state where those who expose terrorism are jailed, while terror enablers are rewarded. “In Pakistan, you are rewarded for promoting terrorism and persecuted for exposing terrorists!” Tharoor declared.
The coordinated criticism comes at a time when Indian political delegations are actively engaging with the international community to expose Pakistan’s long-standing support for extremist groups.
