Peshawar, Quetta bomb attacks kill 21 - Javed Aziz Khan & Muhammad Ejaz Khan Court orders Pervez Musharraf's arrest, mmerce (Reg.Private) Part II

PESHAWAR: A tribunal Saturday reduced by 10 years the sentence of Dr. Shakil Afridi from 33 to 23 years for having contacts with outlawed group.

Shakeel Afridi was convicted of treason under the country´s tribal justice system for alleged ties to militants and jailed for 33 years in May 2012.

Authorities set aside the sentence in August last year on appeal and ordered a retrial, but now a tribunal has agreed to cut a decade off his jail term.

"The tribunal has reduced the 33-year imprisonment to 23 years and also reduced the fine of 320,000 rupees (3,200 dollars) to 220,000 rupees," defence lawyer Samiullah Afridi told AFP.

Afridi said that he would appeal against the decision as he wanted to have a new trial, as stipulated by the authorities last August.

"We will appeal against this decision, because it is unjust," Afridi said.

Jamil Afridi, the brother of the jailed doctor added: "We wanted to have a fresh trial, but the court just ruled on one point and reduced the sentence by 10 years. We will file an appeal against this decision," Afridi told AFP.

Lawyers for the doctor had challenged the August ruling, made by the commissioner of the northwestern city of Peshawar, in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Tribunal. (AFP)