Pakistani authorities decided to reduce the prison sentence of Dr. Shakil Afridi, the doctor who had helped CIA hunt down former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad compound in 2011.
The reduction of 30 years from his jail term means that he will be released next month.
It is believed that Pakistani authorities transferred Afridi from Peshawar central jail under strict security measures on Friday to ensure his safety. According to media reports, he was moved in a helicopter but no official statement was issued from the government this regard.
Soon after the death of bin Laden in May 2011, US media reported that Afridi had contributed to the success of the CIA operation by collecting DNA samples of bin Laden's family by order of the intelligence agency.
Then-CIA director Leon Panetta and then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed the doctor's role in eliminating the terrorist leader, after which Afridi was arrested by Pakistani authorities.
The CIA planned an operation to pull the doctor from Peshawar prison on the night of his transfer to an undisclosed location, according to an official.
The US government has offered an exchange between Afridi for Pakistani scientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving a jail term in the United States on terrorism charges. Despite popular demands in Pakistan for the exchange, Islamabad rejected the US offer.
Top US diplomats and Congress members requested during talks with Pakistani officials the release of Afridi, who is considered a hero in the US.
Pakistani media reported that Pakistani intelligence thwarted a CIA attempt to help the doctor escape.
An informed source said that the United States had already gone to Pakistan to request Afridi’s extradition and explained that "intelligence agencies are working to protect their informants that were uncovered in order to maintain the level of confidence with other secret agents.”
