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Pakistan slams Donald Trump's remarks about release of CIA-doctor

Xinhua, May 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Pakistan on Monday condemned remarks by U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump that he would ensure Pakistani physician Shakil Afridi, who has allegedly helped the U.S. kill Osama bin Laden, is freed from jail within two minutes.

Afridi, who is known in Pakistan as a CIA doctor and has been described as a hero in the U.S., is serving a 33-year-long punishment in jail for treason.

Trump, who is famous for his controversial statement, talked about the Pakistani doctor in a recent interview with Fox News.

"I think I would get him out in two minutes. I would tell them (Pakistan) let him out and I'm sure they would let him out," Trump said.

Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the fate of Shaki Afridi is going to be decided by the Pakistani courts and the Government of Pakistan and not by Donald Trump even if he becomes the President of United States.

"Shakil Afridi is a Pakistani citizen and nobody else has the right to dictate to us about his future," the Interior Minister said while responding to Trump's interview.

Khan said it is not only about Shakil Afridi but Trump's perception and the comments about Pakistan in his interview are highly misplaced and unwarranted.

"Contrary to Mr. Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America. He should learn to treat sovereign countries with respect. Mr. Donald Trump also seems to be ignorant, historically, of the huge scarifies Pakistan and its people have made while standing with or supporting U.S. policies over the years."

Trump also said he plans to leverage U.S. aid, "because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan. We give a lot of money to Pakistan."

But the Pakistani Minister said the "peanuts" that the U.S. has given to Pakistan in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat the country into following Trump's misguided vision of foreign policy.

Khan said that Pakistan is a country which has suffered much and the cost it had to pay in supporting U.S. over the years has been mind-boggling, adding Trump's statement only serves to show not only his insensitivity but also his ignorance about Pakistan. Endit