Abbottabad: A Pakistani government official
says 17 health workers have been fired for allegedly
participating in a CIA scheme to confirm the presence of Osama
bin Laden in a northwestern town.
Zafeer Ahmed said today the workers, 16 women and one man,
were dismissed because they failed to inform authorities they
were helping Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi with a fake
vaccination programme meant to obtain the al Qaeda chief's
DNA.
The scheme was allegedly carried out in Abbottabad, where
bin Laden was killed last May by American commandos.
Pakistan detained Afridi after the operation and could
charge him with treason. The Pakistani government was outraged
by the operation because it was not informed beforehand.
Ahmed is a senior health official in Abbottabad district.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 23, 2012, 00:25