Islamabad, March 2 (TIWN) A Pakistani doctor who played a key role in the capture of former Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, on Monday launched a hunger strike inside a jail alleging that appeals against his prison sentence have been delayed repeatedly.

Shakil Afridi, who took part in a false vaccination campaign in Abbottabad which was orchestrated by the US’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to obtain Bin Laden’s DNA samples, has been serving a 23-year sentence.  “He is on hunger strike from today (Monday),” Afridi’s lawyer Qamar Nadeem told Efe news regarding his client, who is placed in a high security prison in Punjab province.  Nadeem alleged Afridi was facing an “inhuman” and “unjust” situation after around 65 delays in appeal hearings against his sentence, which was based on charges of having links to terrorist groups.  “It is inhuman, injustice, and not according to Sharia or any other law,” the lawyer added.  Afridi was arrested shortly after the Al Qaeda leader was killed in a special operation by US special forces on May 2, 2011, at his compound in Abbottabad.