Pakistan Finds Doctor Guilty of Treason

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The news has generated debate on social media forums that is reflective of our divided society. For many it was a heroic, courageous and patriotic act of Afridi, contributing to the elimination of OBL and weakening of al Qaeda and its affiliates. This is the organisation that has the blood of thousands of innocent men, women and children on their hands, killed indiscriminately in the last decade in markets, mosques, funeral congregations, jirgas and other public places in Pakistan and Afghanistan. They consider OBL and al Qaeda responsible for bringing war and instability to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region. But there are others who consider Afridi a traitor for his role in helping the US eliminate OBL. The religious political parties, militant organisations of all sorts, military/ISI, their sympathisers and the ghairat brigade of Pakistan fall into the latter category.

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This. By no measure are the people who comprise the latter group a minority.
The way I see it the fault does not lie with the state itself, but with the populace, or at least a part of it. What is the government of any state to do when it faces pressure from the people? I'm pretty certain many people in the Pakistani government too are unhappy with all this.
This is actually one reason I've always felt that issues with Pakistan and nearby regions won't be sorted out anytime soon, if they are ever sorted out at all. Their grievances with other countries are more than just skin deep. It's something that they believe in...that they believe to be facts beyond all debate.
It is hard to convince one man that what he thinks/knows to be the truth is not all true. To convince an entire group of people.....well....more than fifty years have gone by and our border disputes haven't been solved. The future looks murky. :juggle:

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Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

Helping a Foriegn Power, allied or no, is Treason; during a time of war it is sometimes called "High Treason".

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Really?

"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."

That's US treason law. British, and thus Imperial treason laws are not the same. US treason laws would be based on the Treason Act 1695, where as Pakistans would be based on the Treason Act 1945 or at least the Treason Act 1800. You have to remember that when a colony became a dominion British law became that nations law, more or less. My googlings haven't turn up anything specific to Pakistan, BUT I did find Canada's. Relevant bits, section B, bolded.

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Treason
(2) Every one commits treason who, in Canada,
(a) uses force or violence for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Canada or a province;
(b) without lawful authority, communicates or makes available to an agent of a state other than Canada, military or scientific information or any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document of a military or scientific character that he knows or ought to know may be used by that state for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or defence of Canada;
(c) conspires with any person to commit high treason or to do anything mentioned in paragraph (a);
(d) forms an intention to do anything that is high treason or that is mentioned in paragraph (a) and manifests that intention by an overt act; or
(e) conspires with any person to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) or forms an intention to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) and manifests that intention by an overt act."

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So again not Pakistan's law. However I find it a reasonable assumption that Pakistan has very similar treason laws. So this guy is in fact guilty of treason, but not high treason*. What this Doctor did meets the requirements. He became an agent of a foreign power and the info he provided was used in a military strike by said foreign power against Pakistan.




*Which is:

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"High treason
(1) Every one commits high treason who, in Canada,
(a) kills or attempts to kill Her Majesty, or does her any bodily harm tending to death or destruction, maims or wounds her, or imprisons or restrains her;
(b) levies war against Canada or does any act preparatory thereto; or
(c) assists an enemy at war with Canada, or any armed forces against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are.

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Pakistan might have just replaced the Sovereign with President in their laws.

And here's a new wrinkle.

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A Pakistan doctor who assisted the CIA in tracking down Osama bin Laden was sentenced to 33 years in prison for conspiring with an Islamist militant commander, a verdict that could make it more difficult for Washington to argue for his release.

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I'm a little skeptical of this information right now, why would he help us locate Bin Laden while aiding other islamist militants? Let's see where this goes.

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Originally Posted by Xiahou

And here's a new wrinkle.

I'm a little skeptical of this information right now, why would he help us locate Bin Laden while aiding other islamist militants? Let's see where this goes.

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You must have a kind heart and good nature.

Dangit!

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Pakistan is a corrupt kleptocratic wannabe police state. You're as likely to be thrown in jail on a bogus political charge as you are on a valid charge, and its almost a given that the people handing down the punishments are guilty of any number of crimes themselves ranging from corruption to aiding terrorists. Whatever their "treason" laws are, they aren't worth the paper they are written on--just like any other law in Pakistan.

Too late to do anything now, but don't get it twisted: The Authorities in Pakistan don't have the moral high-ground required to be fair arbiters in ANY politically charged case, let alone this one. One might even say that acts which hurt the government of Pakistan are actually in the best interests of the people, since they're in dire need of new management anyway.

But, once again, too late to do anything. But we really should stop giving them money and aid.

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Yes to the last.

As to the rest - if they had let him off they would just be demonstrating even greater corruption.

So...