===
Davis case: Slain men’s families secretly flown to UAE
By Asad Kharal
Published: March 20, 2011
Family members of the men killed by Raymond Davis were secretly been flown out of the country. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
Family members of the two men shot dead by CIA contractor Raymond Davis have secretly been flown out of the country, The Express Tribune has learnt.
A chartered plane carrying 18 family members of Faizan Haider and Faheem Shamshad, the two men killed by Davis, left the Chaklala air base on Friday at 4:30 pm for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), sources said.
The plane landed at the Dubai airport from where the 18 people proceeded to Abu Dhabi where two houses have been rented for them. Four American Green Cards and two residences in the US have also been arranged for the two families.
Interestingly, husbands of the seven sisters of the two victims have also disappeared along with their children, the sources said. They have been shifted to undisclosed location for their safety.
They will soon be shifted to Abu Dhabi to be reunited with other members of their respective families. They include Muhammad Afzal and Ramzan, spouses of Faheem’s sisters Nazia and Mumtaz, and Amir Hashmi, Malik Khurram, Rasheed Chohan, Ayub and Imran, husbands of Faizan’s sisters Mumtaz, Nazia, Aasia, Zille Huma, Shazia and Saima.
Davis was acquitted by a court on Wednesday after the two families agreed to execute a ‘blood money’ deal to pardon him.
Court documents show discrepancies in the amount of money given to the legal heirs of the two slain men. It has also been learnt that the heirs of the two deceased men had no idea about the blood money deal, even hours before the deal was struck on Friday.
The documents, copies of which are available with The Express Tribune, do not mention how the money was paid.
Interestingly, three payment receipts, written on plain paper without any official attestation, were presented in the court on Friday. The heirs of Faizan and Faheem were made to sign these receipts in the Kot Lakhpat jail minutes before the hearing.
The amount of money given to each heir of Faheem’s family was handwritten to show that overall Rs100 million in blood money was paid to the family. A similar one-page document was used to show the amount paid to members of Faizan’s family.
Legal experts believe that because the documents are in Urdu language, they must have been drafted by Pakistani authorities in a bid to allow members of both the families to accept the deal without consulting any outside legal expert in order to keep Davis’ release a secret.
The sources said that US Consul-General Carmela Conroy, Consular Officer Jasson Rieff and Officer of Foreign Litigation Paul Harrep, struck the blood money deal, which was brokered by functionaries of a Pakistani intelligence agency and the Punjab government.
They added that the families of the two victims were taken into ‘protective custody’ on March 14 at the start of negotiations for the blood money deal and remained in custody until Friday when they boarded a chartered plane at the Chaklala air base.
According to documents presented in the court, Faheem’s father Shamshad Ali received Rs11.11 million as blood money, Halima Begum (mother) got Rs33.33 million, Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Jamshaid and Muhammad Akram (brothers) got Rs11.11 million each, while Nazia Afzal and Mumtaz (sisters) received Rs5.55 million.
Similarly, Faizan’s mother Perveen Akhtar got Rs33.33 million, his widow Zehra got Rs25 million, while Imran, Usman and Salman (brothers) received Rs7.5 million each, and his sisters got Rs3.78 million each.
According to the deal, four persons from the two families would first go to the US after completing visa formalities. Later, other family members would be considered for permanent residence in the US, the sources said.
Earlier arrangements had been made for the two families in Pakistan, so that they could complete the necessary paperwork. The situation, however, changed when Iqbal Jaffery, a senior lawyer, requested the court to summon the legal heirs of Faizan and Faheem. It was then that the authorities decided to send both the families to the UAE.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2011.
====
Pakistan court dodges decision on CIA contractor'sTweet Share this
Link this
diggEmail
Related NewsQ+A: Pakistan, American tension over shooting hits new heights
Mon, Mar 14 2011Analysis & OpinionA final goodbye to Superpower America?
Factbox on Pakistan’s emerging anti-U.S. Islamist bloc
Related TopicsWorld »
Politics »
Related VideoPakistan waives American immunity
Mon, Mar 14 2011 A man holds an image of U.S. national Raymond Davis during a rally against Davis in Islamabad February 28, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Faisal Mahmood
By Mubasher Bokhari
LAHORE, Pakistan | Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:31am EDT
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - A Pakistani court declined to rule on Monday on whether a CIA contractor held on murder charges has diplomatic immunity, saying a court hearing the murder case would decide.
The ruling by the Lahore High Court is likely to extend a crisis in ties between the United States and Pakistan over contractor Raymond Davis, who is on trial for double murder, and complicate efforts to secure his release.
"The case is in a trial court ... It will decide on his immunity," Chief Justice Ejaz Chaudhry told the court in the eastern city. Davis' murder trial resumes on Wednesday.
The U.S. embassy in Islamabad said it would "continue to work with the authorities to resolve this issue."
Davis, 36, shot dead two Pakistanis in Lahore on January 27. He said he acted in self-defense and the United States says he has diplomatic immunity and should be repatriated.
Pakistan says the courts must decide.
The High Court had been considering whether he had immunity while a criminal court is due to resume hearing the murder charges on Wednesday. If convicted, Davis could face the death penalty.
The case has shaken relations between the United States and Pakistan, a vital ally in the U.S.-led campaign against Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
Davis' double murder trial resumes on March 16 at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, where he is being held under tight security. This will be the third hearing, but it is possible the trial will be adjourned on procedural grounds.
BLOOD MONEY?
Questions surround the identity of the victims, with some media reports saying the men worked for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, and that they might have been known to Davis.
Other reports suggest they were armed robbers who had already targeted others in Lahore before attempting to rob Davis, tailing him on motorbikes along a congested city road.
The case has also strained ties between the CIA and Pakistan's main Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, which said it was unaware Davis was working in Pakistan.
There is mounting speculation the United States might back payment to the victims' families of compensation, or blood money, as laid out under Pakistani law, even if it is loathe to support a payment in what it sees as a case of self-defense.
Under that scenario, Pakistan could facilitate U.S. contact with the families of the two slain men -- and, presumably, the family of a third man who was struck and killed by a U.S. vehicle going to help Davis after the shooting -- to offer a deal.
-
The best, perhaps the only, option for the government is to pacify the relatives of those killed to come to some compromise," said Talat Masood, a retired Pakistani general.
"It's the only option everyone seems to be working on."
Such payments are sanctioned by Islamic law and are common in some parts of rural Pakistan as a way to settle disputes. But the victims' families would have to agree.
Pakistani newspapers have reported some efforts on a deal although a U.S. embassy spokesman said he had no knowledge of any negotiations. The principle of diplomatic immunity was key to the case, the U.S. spokesman added.
(Additional reporting by Chris Allbritton; Writing by Rebecca Conway; Editing Robert Birsel and Miral Fahmy)
===
====
Raymond Davis acquittal: jail rules violated
Raymond Davis acquittal: jail rules violated Raymond Davis, who shot and killed two Pakistani nationals, was freed from prison but the legal procedure was completed after his release.
Raymond Davis was released from Kot Lakhpat jail but the jail manual was not followed according to law.
As per jail manual, confirmation of two identifications of an accused is necessary but in Raymond’s case, neither his finger prints were taken nor was his jail record checked.
According to the sources, the release order of any prisoner had not been received in a so short time period and the jail authorities never released any accused so earlier in history.
The registration of release order was made after Raymond’s departure.
The Punjab government, particularly the jail authorities were already well informed about the issue, the sources said.
Even the lawyers were allowed to visit the jail after Raymond had been taken by a special flight from Lahore airbase.
The jail authorities had been directed by the government in a special meeting on Tuesday at 3 pm.
Raymond’s departure from jail was made in a black mirrored Land Cruiser with full protocol.
This too was a strange example in jail’s history.
===
Pakistan frees CIA man after 'blood money' paid16 Mar 2011 18:50
Source: reuters // Reuters
* Davis immediately flies out of Pakistan
* Clinton says U.S. did not pay compensation to families
* Case was major test of U.S.-Pakistan ties
* Risk of backlash against Pakistani government (Adds Clinton, CIA, US lawmaker statements)
By Zeeshan Haider and Mubasher Bokhari
LAHORE, Pakistan, March 16 (Reuters) - A CIA contractor was acquitted of two murder charges and released by a Pakistani court on Wednesday after a deal to pay "blood money" to the victims' families, Pakistani and U.S. officials said.
The deal, reached just hours after the American contractor had been indicted, ends a long-simmering diplomatic standoff between Pakistan and the United States.
"The court first indicted him but the families later told court that they have accepted the blood money and they have pardoned him," Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told Reuters.
"The court acquitted him in the murder case."
Raymond Davis, 36, shot dead two Pakistanis in the eastern Punjab city of Lahore on Jan. 27 after what he described as an attempted armed robbery. The United States had repeatedly called for his release, saying he had diplomatic immunity.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
For more Pakistan stories click [ID:nAFPAK]
or see http://link.reuters.com/kac58m
Pakistan blog: http://blogs.reuters.com/pakistan/
Key political risks to watch in Pakistan [ID:nRISKPK]
For a FACTBOX on Davis, click [ID:nL3E7EE0L0]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
"The families of the victims of the January 27 incident in Lahore have pardoned Raymond Davis. I am grateful for their generosity," U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter said. "I wish to express, once again, my regret for the incident."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking while on a trip to Cairo, said the U.S. government did not pay any compensation to the families of the two Pakistanis.
Asked if the Pakistani government had paid compensation, Clinton said: "You will have to ask the Pakistani government."
A U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said Davis was quickly flown out of Pakistan. Despite the reported payment of the "blood money," he insisted there had been "no quid pro quo."An equal exchange or substitution.
He declined to elaborate.
A U.S. national security official closely monitoring the Davis case and who declined to be identified said that if the Pakistani government paid the compensation they likely will seek reimbursement from the U.S. government.
The case became a major test of ties between the United States and Pakistan, a vital ally in the U.S.-led campaign against Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
It is likely to have a lasting impact on how the U.S. Congress, already suspicious of Pakistan's commitment to defeating some militants groups in Afghanistan, views a government that is a major recipient of U.S. military and civilian aid.
FEARS OF A BACKLASH
Republican lawmaker Dana Rohrabacher, a member of the party that controls the U.S. House of Representatives, said the Davis case "should suggest we take a close look at the fundamentals of who we give our aid to and whether or not they are our friends, or whether they are treating us like suckers."
But CIA spokesman George Little said the resolution of the case showed that ties between the United States and Pakistan are strong. "That's the sign of a healthy partnership -- one that's vital to both countries, especially as we face a common set of terrorist enemies."
Analysts said Pakistan's government faced the risk of a backlash. Talat Masood, a retired general, said some groups in Pakistan could use the case to their advantage.
"Some elements will take advantage of it (such as) opposition parties, even if it's only for rhetoric to gain points. With the religious parties and militant groups, they might use it to expand their reach."
The country's powerful religious parties had tried to block such a deal, calling for Davis to be hanged, and the families'
lawyer suggested they had been forced to sign the papers.Religious parties condemned the release.
"We were put in detention for four hours and not allowed to meet our clients who were called by authorities to the court," Asad Manzoor Butt, a lawyer for the family of one of the slain men, told Reuters.
"We will protest against this. This is shameful and unfortunate," said Amir-ul-Azeem, a senior leader of the hardline Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami.
There had been speculation that a deal was in the works between the United States and the families of the dead men, including a third killed when a U.S. consulate vehicle struck him while trying to extract Davis from the scene.
Such payments are sanctioned by Islamic law and are common in some parts of rural Pakistan as a way to settle disputes.
The identity of the victims has been questioned from the outset, with some media reports saying the men worked for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency. Others have suggested they attempted to rob Davis.
The case also strained ties between the CIA and ISI, which said it was unaware Davis was working in Pakistan. (Additional reporting by Rebecca Conway in Islamabad; and Mark Hosenball, Phil Stewart, Susan Cornwell and Andrew Quinn in Washington; Editing by Eric Beech)
===
Diplomat or not, Davis departs
By Rana Tanveer
Published: March 17, 2011
A video grab from Express News’ exclusive footage captured on February 15, 2011 shows Raymond Davis attempting to walk out during questioning by police. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
Ending one of Pakistan’s most testing diplomatic crises, 36-year-old American national Raymond Allen Davis – accused of being a CIA contractor and charged with killing two Pakistanis in a busy Lahore street in January, – was released by a Lahore sessions court on Wednesday after spending 48 days in detention.
Davis was released after paying Rs200 million as ‘blood money’ to the legal heirs of the deceased and Rs20,000 as fine for carrying an illegal weapon.
The court also awarded Davis 41 days imprisonment, equal to the number of days he had already spent in jail, while granting Davis benefit under section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that relates to reduction in period of sentence of imprisonment.
However, despite the seeming resolution of the crisis, the thorny question of Davis’ status in Pakistan, and whether or not he was a diplomat entitled to immunity, remained unaddressed.
While the compensation amount was paid, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denied that the American government had paid anything. US admission of having paid compensation would have confirmed that Davis was, after all, not entitled to immunity and was not a diplomat – which would have gone against Washington’s uncompromising stance on the issue that had been reiterated by even President Barack Obama himself.
How it went down
Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Yousaf Aoujla issued the order while holding the trial of the accused at Kot Lakhpat jail.
US Consul General in Lahore, Carmela Conroy, was also present on the occasion.
There were a number of new twists and turns which resulted in the surprise release of Davis. A new counsel, Raja Irshad, appeared on behalf of the complainants – the legal heirs of the deceased Faizan Haider and Faheem Shamshad – and requested the court to summon his clients, deputy prosecutor general Muhammad Akram told The Express Tribune.
Irshad filed an application under section 345 CrPC, saying the heirs have arrived at a compromise with the accused, and have no objection over his release, Akram said.
He added that a total of 18 legal heirs of the two deceased appeared before the court, proved their identity, submitted their affidavits and also showed receipts verifying the monetary compensation they had received.
Court sources added that Rs190,000 were deposited in the court treasury for the mother and sister of deceased Shumaila, wife of Shamshad, who committed suicide soon after her husband’s killing.
Zahra Faizan, Haider’s widow, also appeared before the court and said she had taken Rs30 million as compensation and had no objection over the release of the accused, sources said.
The judge repeatedly asked the legal heirs if they were coerced into arriving at this compromise but they maintained it was made under their free will, the sources added.
‘New lawyer’ negotiates the deal
Raja Irshad, the complainants’ new counsel on Wednesday, and a lawyer attached to the Supreme Court in Islamabad, said he was engaged by the victims’ families just two days ago to negotiate the agreement for them and represent them in court, according to The New York Times.
Irshad arrived from Islamabad just in time, as the court judge was beginning proceedings to indict Davis, and presented the judge with a signed agreement under which both families accepted the payment of “blood money” and pardoned the accused, The New York Times added.
“The families wanted this and they gave their statements voluntarily,” Irshad said while speaking to The New York Times.
In an interview later, Irshad said he had no dealings with American officials and that the Pakistani government had paid the compensation to the families in Lahore.
After the judge concluded the proceedings, the US consulate representatives and members of the victims’ families, along with their new counsel left Kot Lakhpat jail in a convoy of seven vehicles.
Soon after, Raymond Davis was flown out to the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, where he was to undergo a medical examination and be interviewed by American officials, The New York Times added.
Old lawyer caught ‘unawares’
The stand of the complainants’ former counsel Advocate Asad Manzoor Butt, however, posed new questions. Butt said that the “blood money” deal was done without his knowledge and that he was in detention when it was made.
“I was not allowed to participate in the proceedings of the case … and could not see or approach my clients,” the BBC quoted Butt as saying.
“I and my associate were kept under forced detention for four hours. If my clients have indeed signed a blood money deal, then this has been done behind my back and I don’t know anything about it,” he added.
Butt said he had been trying to contact the families since March 14 but their phones were off.
Who paid for the release?
The New York Times adds that in remarks to reporters in Cairo, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thanked Pakistani officials and the families of the two men for agreeing to release Davis. “We appreciate the actions they took that enabled Mr Davis to leave Pakistan and head back home,” she said.
Asked about reports of compensation, she replied, “The United States did not pay any compensation.” Asked if someone else paid compensation at the request of the United States, she said “you should ask the families and the Pakistani government.”
Davis to be investigated in US
After his release from Pakistan, the US Department of Justice has opened an investigation against Raymond Davis in the Lahore incident, US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter said in a press release.
The ambassador added that the families of the victims of the January 27 incident in Lahore have pardoned Raymond Davis.
The statement did not mention any details about any reported ‘blood money’ paid to the heirs of the two victims killed by Davis nor was there any mention of issuance of US visas to some members of the victims’ families. Alberto Rodriguez, spokesperson to the US embassy in Islamabad refused further comment when contacted.
Munter in his statement expressed gratitude to the family members of the victims for their ‘generosity,’ adding he “wish[ed] to express, once again, [his] regret over the incident and [his] sorrow at the suffering it caused”.
“I wish to express my respect for Pakistan and its people, and my thanks for their commitment to building our relationship, to everyone’s benefit,” he added.
With additional reporting by Irfan Ghauri in Islamabad.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2011.
===
Davis acquittal: A release three weeks in the making
By Asad Kharal
Published: March 17, 2011
Punjab government pressurised heirs to accept blood money in return for pardoning Davis. PHOTO: AFP/FILE LAHORE:
The federal and provincial governments, and the intelligence agencies, had been working since February 21 to ensure Raymond Davis’ release through the Qisas and Diyat laws, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Three weeks ago, the Interior Ministry sought the particulars including the addresses of the family members of the men Davis shot so it could contact them and prepare their passports, sources said.
The Punjab government, meanwhile, used police and other officials to put pressure on the heirs of the deceased to accept payment of blood money in return for pardoning Davis, the sources said.
The sources said that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had assured US Senator John Kerry when he visited Pakistan in mid-February that even if the federal government did not produce documents in the Lahore High Court showing Davis to have diplomatic immunity, the Punjab government would help get the CIA contractor pardoned through the payment of Diyat.
The sources said that the federal and provincial governments and the country’s intelligence agencies all agreed on one thing: that Davis must be released via the courts through the payment of Diyat to minimise the public uproar at his release.
They said that they had made a secret agreement on February 21 to facilitate the release of Davis in this manner. Around this time, the US authorities also began preparing to fulfil the formalities regarding compensation and visas, the sources said.
Neighbours of the families say that their houses had been locked for the last two days and they had not been seen. Lawyer Asad Manzoor Butt, who represented them at the previous hearing, said he had been trying to contact them since March 14 but their phones were off.
When Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was asked by a reporter in London yesterday about the provincial government allegedly kidnapping the family, Sharif denied this and told the reporter to ask the federal government.
Meanwhile, according to Daily Express, Davis travelled on a special US plane from Lahore airbase to Bagram and the Intelligence Bureau and police were not in the loop. He was flown out without an exit stamp on his passport.
The Allama Iqbal Airport’s radar system received a short message on Wednesday that a special aircraft would touch down at the PAF base. Airport officials were told nothing else.
Quoting sources, Daily Express said that under instructions from sensitive agencies, the Punjab chief secretary, home secretary, inspector general of police and inspector general of prisons crafted the exit plan on March 15.
The sources added that the families of Faizan and Faheem had been shifted to Islamabad via the Motorway. They would first be taken to Dubai since the issuance of US visas would take time.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2011.
For more on this issue follow: raymonddavis
===
Bon voyage, Raymond Davis
Used to express farewell and good wishes to a departing traveler
By Ayesha Siddiqa
Published: March 17, 2011
Who was responsible for the release? What were the concessions made on both sides to facilitate the release?
Raymond Davis was released on Wednesday and flown out of the country. A lot of people are asking if justice was done. The release raises two fundamental questions.
First, who was responsible for the release?
Second, what were the concessions made on both sides of the table to facilitate the release?
The future of Pakistan-US relations and geo-political developments in the region will depend on the nature of the final agreement.
The release was clearly not the work of the federal or provincial governments. Although Najam Sethi tweeted about Shahbaz Sharif playing a critical role, his responsibility may be limited to facilitating the entire release drama. Notwithstanding Punjab Law Rana Sanaullah’s claim that the provincial government was not in the know on the decision, it is hard to rule out PML-N involvement in trying to convince the families of those killed by Raymond Davis to forgive him under provisions of Shariah law.
The Qisas and Diyat law, which was passed in 1997 by the then Nawaz Sharif government, has been used on hundreds of occasions to buy forgiveness for killers. This law privatises a crime like homicide and devolves the responsibility for punishing a killer to the next of kin of the victim. The reason it was not used earlier in the Davis case was possibly because the time was not ripe.
Rana Sanaullah’s lame statement reflects his anticipation of a reaction from hardcore right-wingers inside the PML-N. With cooperation from the right quarters, however, Shahbaz Sharif’s government will be able to deal with any public protest.
In any case, the general perception was that the religious right organisations did not manage to bring people out on the streets on the Davis issue. Therefore, they were keen to link it with the blasphemy laws issue. There may be some street protests and comments from Imran Khan trying to pin it all on the federal government. But the Zardari-Gilani duo could not have managed it as their first effort resulted in friction within the party.
There should be little doubt that the release was possible due to successful negotiations between the CIA and the ISI. This was all along a spat between the two intelligence agencies which Pakistan’s media did not point out until very late. Another twitterati, Columnist Cyril Almeida, raised the question of a possible link between Gen Pasha’s extension, the Pakistan Army’s agreement to launch a military operation in North Waziristan and Davis’ release, pointing at some secret agreement. Without GHQ’s involvement the judiciary might not have appreciated the significance of the matter for national security and not stopped the Lahore High Court from giving a judgment on the immunity issue immediately.
The million-dollar question now is: what was agreed upon? It seems that the US and Rawalpindi have renegotiated terms of engagement so GHQ will play a greater role in dealing with Washington than the Presidency in Islamabad. General Petraeus’s recent testimony to the US Congress mentions the Pakistan Army’s apprehensions regarding not being taken into confidence on Afghanistan. It is a considered opinion in Washington that Pakistan was not totally on board with the objectives of the war on terror. Did Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor, fall victim to this misunderstanding and has he been released after the problem was sorted out? Another pertinent question pertains to the future of American policy on Pakistan-based militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and others. Does a possible agreement involve America backing off from its focus on these organisations, which are considered friendly by the military?
Raymond Davis’ release will for some time increase anxiety amongst the Pakistani people, including the urban-educated-twitterati. GHQ will ensure that this does not really boil over. Or perhaps this will give a lead to an internal move to bring domestic change. What’s certain is that the way the issue has unfolded is fairytale material.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2011.
====
Raymond Davis saga: Victims' families leave country say sources
Published: March 16, 2011
Neighbours of the families say they haven't seen them in two days and their homes are empty and locked. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
LAHORE: Initial media reports surrounding the release of Raymond Davis suggest that the families of the victims killed in the Lahore shooting have left the country on a second plane. Their neighbours say they haven’t seen the families in two days and that their homes are empty and locked.
Sources say an aircraft carrying more than 10 people left Lahore airport and is headed to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. They also say the families have been given Green Cards and homes in New York state and Washington DC.
Raymond Davis case time line
Three Pakistanis were killed brutally by US Consulate officials in Lahore on January 27.
Police arrested US citizen Raymond Davis from the crime scene and a case was registered against him on January 28.
A court handed him over to police on a six-day remand on January 29. The very next day, the United States demanded Pakistan release Davis and hand him over to Washington.
On January 30, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned her Pakistani counterpart and demanded the release of Davis.
On the 1st of February, the Lahore High Court issued orders to put Davis’ name on the Exit Control List. Davis was handed over to the FIA for investigation on February 4.
On February 6, the widow of Faheem, one of the victims, committed suicide.
On February 7, the Lahore police presented a challan against Davis.
US Senator John Kerry arrived in Pakistan on February 15 and the Federal government told him that the court would decide whether Davis enjoyed diplomatic immunity or not.
On February 17, the Lahore high court gave the government three weeks to present its version on Davis’ immunity issue.
The court during the same hearing granted a 14-day remand of Davis in another case for posessing illegal weapon.
On February 22, US officials confirmed that Raymond Davis worked for the CIA.
On the 3rd of March, the court rejected the immunity petition of the accused and decided to carry on with the case.
On March 8, the court handed Davis copies of the challan against him which he refused to accept.
On the 14th of March, the foreign ministry replied to the Lahore High Court confirming that Davis had a diplomatic passport but did not state clearly if he enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
The court ruled that Davis’ immunity issue will be settled in the trial court.
===
Raymond Davis 'was acting head of CIA in Pakistan'
A US intelligence agent arrested after shooting dead two men was the acting head of the CIA in Pakistan and had been gathering intelligence for drone attacks, according to intelligence sources.
Raymond Davis has been held for almost a month in a Lahore prison while a court decides his status Photo: REUTERS By Rob Crilly, Islamabad 4:33PM GMT 22 Feb 2011
Raymond Davis, a 36-year-old former special forces soldier, had taken command after the CIA station chief's cover was blown, according to reports.
American officials insist he is entitled to diplomatic immunity and that he be released immediately.
Davis has been held for almost a month in a Lahore prison while a court decides his status.
The case has provoked a surge in anti-American hostility and spawned a wave of conspiracy theories.
Many Pakistanis have questioned whether Davis was really the victim of an attempted robbery – as he told police – and exactly why he was driving around Lahore with a Glock handgun in a rented car.
Related Articles
Pakistani intelligence service warns relationship with CIA is at breaking point
24 Feb 2011
Further evidence that Raymond Davis is CIA operative
21 Feb 2011
This week it emerged that he was employed by the CIA and that he was engaged in an undercover operation.
On Tuesday The Nation newspaper, which has close links to Pakistan's military establishment, claimed one of his main tasks was to keep the CIA network intact in the tribal agencies, where al-Qaeda-linked militants maintain bases, and that he was familiar with their local languages.
Pakistan authorities say they recovered items including a make-up kit, long-range radio, a GPRS system and a camera containing photographs of sensitive locations.
Telephone records suggest he was in contact with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Pakistan Taliban in South Waziristan.
Even Pakistan's spies say they had no idea what Davis was doing in Lahore.
A senior intelligence source told The Daily Telegraph he was unknown to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence directorate and was operating outside the normal agreements between the two countries.
"We want the US to come clean on what exactly he was up to," he said.
American officials initially said Mr Davis worked for the US consulate in Lahore before claiming he worked for the embassy in Islamabad, and was entitled to full immunity.
However, The New York Times on Monday reported that Davis was part of a CIA operation tracking Islamist extremists in eastern Pakistan, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, the virulently anti-Indian group blamed for the bloody 2008 siege of Mumbai.
Opposition politicians and relatives of Davis's victims said the government should address suspicions that he also worked for Xe, a US security firm formerly known as Blackwater.
"Davis deserves no pardon ... We knew from day one that he was working for the CIA and Blackwater," said Mohammad Waseem, brother of Mohammad Faheem.
====
Talks under way for Davis issue settlement
By Qaiser Butt
Published: March 6, 2011
The talks were made public on Saturday after the US ambassador in Pakistan, Cameron Munter, called on President Asif Ali Zardari. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
A top level dialogue between Pakistan and the United States is under way to hammer out a negotiated settlement on the Raymond Davis issue.
The talks were made public on Saturday after the US ambassador in Pakistan, Cameron Munter, called on President Asif Ali Zardari and delivered an important message from Washington, a source said requesting anonymity.
After the meeting, spokesperson for the president Farhatullah Babar issued a brief and vague statement, which said that various bilateral issues were discussed between the two sides.
An article published in The Washington Post on Saturday by President Zardari on the Davis issue also came under discussion, sources said.
A veteran diplomat said that a marked improvement in bilateral ties between Pakistan and the United States “will be visible over the next couple of weeks” when US special envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mark Grossman, will hold talks with top civilian and military leadership of the country.
The ties, which soured rapidly after the arrest of a CIA contractor, Raymond Davis, in Lahore on Jan 27, “are returning to normalcy”, the former diplomat told The Express Tribune. “The process to return the Washington-Islamabad diplomatic affairs to normalcy is under way,” he said requesting anonymity.
However, at no point in time did the relations hit a point of no-return despite a heated war of words.
In this context, he cited two important meetings between top Pakistani-US military leaders in Muscat and Rawalpindi over the past week.
The February 23 meeting in Muscat between Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral US Central Command chief General James Mattis, chief of the Special Operations Command Admiral Eric Olson and the Commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus.
Although US commanders consult frequently with General Kayani, this was only the third time they gathered in this manner since August 2008, said an ISPR press release to signify the meeting.
Referring to CIA-ISI ties in the context of Raymond Davis episode, the diplomat noted the post meeting statement by the ISPR: “The two sides also discussed the need for greater infrastructure development, cross-border communication between Pakistan and Afghanistan and information sharing to defeat terrorists.”
The second meeting between Gen Kayani and top US commanders occurred on March 3 at the GHQ when the Tripartite Commission, composed of senior military representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and coalition forces in Afghanistan, held its 33rd meeting in Rawalpindi, including General David H Petreaus, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) and General Sher Muhammad Karimi, Chief of General Staff of Afghan National Army. The forum also discussed various measures to further improve the coordination.
To substantiate his optimism, the former diplomat said that Grossman’s first interaction with President Zardari and Gen Kayani is primarily scheduled for talks on the Afghan issue but it would not remain confined to just one single subject.
“There is no doubt that the talks will play a key role in put the ties back on the right track,” he added.
The US envoy is faced with an uphill task in Afghanistan as the US plans the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan this summer.
Grossman has already been to London, Jeddah, Kabul, Islamabad and Brussels to promote a “political reconciliation with the Taliban”.
“There appeared to a greater realisation between the civil and military leadership of the both countries that the Davis’ factor should not be allowed to take their (bilateral) relations, particularly war on terror, a hostage,” he said.
The former diplomat cited three major developments which indicated leniency on part of Pakistan: (a) Pakistan refrained from prosecuting Raymond Davis on espionage charges despite the fact that Davis was put on trial for the Lahore murders (b) Pakistan is no longer demanding the custody of the three US nationals who are still hiding in the US consulate in Lahore after crushing to death another Pakistani citizen (c) Spying charges were not pressed against another US national who was arrested in Peshawar despite having been found to be involved in questionable activities.
However , the arrest of the US citizen in Peshawar sent a loud and clear message to the CIA that more of its “spies” could be arrested in the future, the former diplomat opined.
On the part of the Americans, he said, a long list of its “diplomats” was made public by the state minister for foreign affairs after the list was handed over by the US embassy last week.
However, he warned that it would be a “mistake to read this display as an indication that the trust issues have been resolved between the two intelligence agencies”.
“But it is also significant to note that the CIA spokesman George Little said any problems between the two agencies will be sorted out.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2011.
==
Intelligence assets: After Davis’ arrest, US operatives leaving Pakistan
By Asad Kharal
Published: February 28, 2011
The foreign ministry states that there are 851 Americans with diplomatic immunity currently in Pakistan, of whom 297 are not working in a diplomatic capacity. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: At least 30 suspected covert American operatives have suspended their activities in Pakistan and 12 have already left the country, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In the aftermath of the shootings in Lahore on January 27 by suspected CIA operative Raymond Davis, intelligence agencies in Pakistan began scrutinising records of the Americans living in Pakistan and discovered several discrepancies, causing many suspected American operatives to maintain a low profile and others to leave the country altogether.
The foreign ministry states that there are 851 Americans with diplomatic immunity currently in Pakistan, of whom 297 are not working in a diplomatic capacity. However, sources at the interior ministry put the number of non-diplomats at 414. The majority of these ‘special Americans’ (as the ministry refers to them) are concentrated in Islamabad, with some also residing in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. Interior ministry records show that most of the “special Americans” live in upscale neighbourhoods in Islamabad and Lahore, with smaller presences in Karachi and Peshawar.
Most of the ‘special Americans’ are suspected of being operatives of US intelligence agencies who are on covert missions in Pakistan, reporting to the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), according to sources familiar with the situation.
Counter-intelligence agencies in Pakistan have long suspected a covert US espionage presence in Pakistan. The first internal investigation into suspicious activities by American citizens in the country was conducted in March 2009, which revealed some significant gaps in the implementation of laws concerning foreign citizens.
Under the Foreigners Act of 1946, foreign citizens are not allowed to live in cantonment areas anywhere in the country. Yet the majority of the suspected American intelligence operatives in Lahore are reportedly living in the Officers’/Generals’ Colony on Sarwar Road and Cavalry Ground in the Lahore Cantonment.
Several senior retired army officers – ranging in rank from brigadier to lieutenant general – have rented out their homes to American citizens at rates astronomically higher than the rents of similar homes in the area. The presence of these Americans came to light when several serving and retired Army officers who lived in the neighbourhood reported suspicious activity, including unauthorised foreigners living in cantonment areas.
Foreign citizens in Pakistan have to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from security agencies before they can rent a residence. This process is meant to ensure that they are not living in prohibited areas. But somehow American citizens were able to get NOCs issued to live in cantonment areas in violation of the law.
Sources say that the intelligence agencies’ reports state that many of the Americans living in these residences are assumed to be US Special Forces – including members of the covert Delta Force of the United States Army – and therefore are considered armed and dangerous.
The report further claims that the late US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, had visited one of the covert American teams in Lahore, at a residence on Sarwar Road owned by a retired army general.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2011.
===
CIA mulls targeting Pakistani agents"Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:35AM
Share | Email | Print
Raymond Davis is escorted by police and officials out of a court after facing a judge in Lahore.Pakistani diplomatic sources say the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is considering targeting Pakistani diplomats, in retaliation for the arrest of one of the agency's contractors.
The sources also insist that the situation is increasingly turning out to be not merely a loss of the cover of a CIA spy, Raymond Davis, but, actually, the loss of a key asset of the notorious US spy agency, a report said on Saturday.
"It is unlikely that they (American intelligence apparatus) would let it go without returning it to the Pakistani counterparts one way or the other," the Pakistani sources added.
According to the report, the CIA is mulling over targeting Pakistani diplomats and intelligence agents across the world in an effort to pressure Islamabad to release Davis.
The sources pointed out that "easy prey of this revenge design of the Americans could be Pakistani intelligence staff serving abroad chiefly in US, Europe, and Afghanistan."
The US government insists that CIA contractor Davis deserves diplomatic immunity over his killing of two Pakistanis in Lahore on January 27.
Washington has demanded his release, while Islamabad says its courts will decide his fate.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people have staged an anti-American rally outside the US Consulate in Lahore. The protesters demanded that Davis be executed.
The Davis detention issue seems to be taking its toll on US-Pakistan relations, which were already strained over stepped-up US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal region and disagreements over the war in neighboring Afghanistan.
A Pakistani court on Saturday sent another American national identified as Aaron Mark DeHaven to jail, a day after he was detained in the northwestern city of Peshawar for overstaying his visa, a government lawyer said.
The Inter-Services Intelligences (ISI) has demanded that the CIA share a list of all its contractors working in Pakistan.
“They need to come clean, tell us who they are and what they are doing. They need to stop doing things behind our back,” an ISI official said.
Raymond Davis refuses to sign charge sheet
By Reuters
Published: February 25, 2011
Supporters of religious parties hold placards as they shout slogans against Raymond Davis during a protest in Lahore February 21, 2011. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
LAHORE: Raymond Davis refused to sign a charge sheet in court Friday and insisted he had diplomatic immunity, lawyers said.
The hearing in the murder case against Raymond Davis took place amid high security in Kot Lakphat jail in Lahore where he is being held, and was adjourned until March 3.
“Davis refused to sign the copy insisting that he be released and claiming that he enjoys immunity,” public prosecutor Abdul Samad told AFP.
Samad said that Davis, who claimed he acted in self-defence when he shot the men in a busy Lahore street last month, was handcuffed during the hearing which was guarded by more than 300 armed police officers in and around the prison.
Police have said they recovered a Glock pistol, four loaded magazines, a GPS navigation system and a small telescope from Davis’ car after the January 27 shooting.
US Consul General Carmela Conroy and other American officials were present at Friday’s hearing.
Asad Manzoor Butt, lawyer for the families of the men who were shot dead, rejected the American’s immunity claim.
“We have also received copies of the charge sheet. We will pursue this case as we want Davis to be punished for his act. We believe he does not enjoy immunity,” he said.
Samad has said that the immunity case before the Lahore High Court would not affect the murder charge hearings, unless the higher court barred them from proceeding.
“Complicated” case
The murder trial is the first of two legal cases involving Davis.
On March 14, a Lahore court will decide whether he enjoys diplomatic immunity, another contentious issue that the government has said must be decided legally, at the risk of possibly losing out on up to $3 billion a year in military and civilian US aid.
“Davis case is not so simple as it is sometimes portrayed by some. It is a complex case involving issues in national and international law as well as grave sensitivities that cannot be wished away,” presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
“The court has not only taken cognisance of it but also declared that it will decide on the immunity issue. We respect the court and will wait for its verdict.”
In addition to igniting a diplomatic standoff, Davis’ case has strained, but not broken, relations between the CIA and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which did not know of Davis’ presence in the country.
Relations between the spy agencies took a blow in December, when the CIA station chief in Islamabad was forced to leave the country after his name was published in a court filing over drone attacks. Davis’ case made matter worse.
“Post incident conduct of CIA has virtually put the partnership into question … it is hard to predict if the relationship will ever reach the level at which it was prior to the Davis episode,” the ISI said in a letter to the Wall Street Journal last week.
CIA, ISI cooperation scaled back after Davis episode
Published: February 25, 2011
========
CIA, ISI cooperation scaled back after Raymond Davis shooting
By Reuters
Published: February 24, 2011
The case of 36-year-old Davis, a former US special forces officer, has strained the already-uneasy alliance between the United States and Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD: Cooperation between the American and Pakistani spy agencies has been scaled back because of an incident involving a CIA contractor shooting two Pakistanis, Pakistani intelligence officials said on Thursday.
A senior Pakistani intelligence official in Islamabad said the case of Raymond Davis had strained but not broken relations between the CIA and the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligences (ISI) because the ISI didn’t know about Davis before he shot and killed two Pakistanis on January 27 in Lahore.
“It’s not business as usual; it’s not open war,” the official told Reuters. “Cooperation and operations together will continue at a lesser scale.”
Another intelligence official denied rumours that the two agencies were not working together.
“We are not ready to split,” he said. “There has been a patch up because we have both realised that in the larger interest of the region and the war on terrorism, CIA and ISI must work together.”
The case of 36-year-old Davis, a former US special forces officer, has strained the already-uneasy alliance between the United States and Pakistan.
Davis has been revealed to be a CIA contractor detailed to provide security at the US consulate in Lahore. The United States says the assignment gives Davis diplomatic immunity and he should be released immediately.
The US embassy in Islamabad declined to comment.
The possible presence of more CIA contractors like Davis worries the ISI because they don’t know how many there are, their identities or their duties. Officials say there could be “hundreds”.
“We are concerned,” the first official told Reuters. “We don’t know how many and we have asked them (CIA) to give this information to us. But they haven’t done that yet.”
It is widely thought the CIA is running a network of spies in Pakistan for a number of reasons: identifying militant targets for a campaign of strikes by unmanned drone aircraft, gathering intelligence on militant groups and on Pakistan’s nuclear programme.
Downward spiral
Signs of strain were evident in a letter the ISI sent to the Wall Street Journal in response to an article the newspaper published on the tension between the agencies.
“It is regrettable that CIA leadership on many occasions has failed to show respect to the relationship of the two agencies and has acted with arrogance towards ISI which has resulted in weakening the relationship on which it is entirely dependant,” the ISI said, according to a copy seen by Reuters.
“Involvement of CIA with Raymond Davis is beyond any shadow of doubt. Post incident conduct of CIA has virtually put the partnership into question. Irrespective of the commonality of objectives in this war on terror, it is hard to predict if the relationship will ever reach the level at which it was prior to the Davis episode.”
Relations between the two agencies has been on a downward slide since December when the CIA station chief in Islamabad was forced to leave the country after his name was published in a court filing over drone attacks.
The CIA believes the ISI leaked the name to a lawyer filing the case in retaliation for a civil court case arising from a militant attack on the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008, that could seek to put the head of the ISI in the dock of a Brooklyn courtroom.
The ISI also resents US suspicion over its commitment to fighting militancy.
Although Pakistan officially abandoned support for the Taliban after joining the US-led war against al Qaeda and the Taliban, critics, and some US military officers, say the ISI maintains ties with some of the Afghan Taliban groups to check rival India’s influence in Afghanistan.
Analysts say the ISI was behind the formation and training of several anti-Indian militant groups based in Punjab that have joined forces with the Pakistani Taliban to attack the state and its agencies, including the ISI.
The militants have carried out several attacks on the agency in recent years, killing dozens of agents.
“We are fighting not at the behest or for the Americans. We are fighting a war for ourselves, for our future,” the first intelligence official said. “We just have common interests. For both of us to succeed, we need each other.”
=================
Two CIA contractors spirited out of Pakistan
23 Feb 2011 20:40
Source: reuters // Reuters
* Contractors worked with imprisoned CIA bodyguard
* Motorcyclist allegedly killed in crash with "diplomats"
By Mark Hosenball
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Two U.S. citizens with diplomatic status were quietly withdrawn from Pakistan after being involved in a fatal car accident last month while trying to help Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor being held by Pakistani authorities on murder charges.
Two officials familiar with U.S. government activities in Pakistan said the two Americans who left the country worked for the CIA under contract as protective officers. This means they were employed as highly skilled bodyguards, like Davis, for CIA operations officers serving in Pakistan.
The two Americans who left Pakistan have not been otherwise identified by U.S. or Pakistani authorities. The CIA declined to comment.
According to a translated Pakistani police statement obtained by Reuters, the two Americans got into the car crash while trying to go to the aid of Davis, who U.S. sources say claims he shot dead two Pakistanis on a motorcycle when they tried to rob him at gunpoint as he was driving in Lahore.
The police report says the vehicle used by the unidentified Americans, a Landcruiser belonging to the U.S. consulate in Lahore, drove the wrong way down a one-way street.
It struck and killed a motorcyclist named Muhammad Ibad-ur-Rehman, the report said, and "fled from the scene of the incident."
The two U.S. officials confirmed media reports the two men involved in the fatal accident were working and living in the same building in Lahore as Davis. They said all three men were working on similar security assignments for the CIA.
Pakistani officials and news reports have said items recovered from Davis included a telescope, a 9mm pistol and a camera containing pictures of bridges and religious schools known as madrassas.
Current and former U.S. national security officials familiar with the role of CIA "protective officer" contractors say it would be routine for them to do reconnaissance missions to chart safe travel routes and spot security threats.
U.S. officials deny media reports that Davis was involved in some kind of undercover counter-terrorism operations.
They also deny reports from Pakistan suggesting that Davis' assailants had some link to the Inter Services Intelligence directorate, Pakistan's principal intelligence agency.
Elements of the ISI have been involved in secretly supporting U.S. counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan, including a long-running campaign to attack suspected militant camps using missiles fired from unmanned drone aircraft.
(Additional reporting by Mubasher Bokhari in Lahore; Editing by John O'Callaghan and Philip Barbara)
====
‘CIA agent Davis had ties with local militants’
By Qaiser Butt
Published: February 22, 2011
Phone records of Davis show that he had ties with 33 Pakistanis, including 27 from TTP and LeJ.
PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: As American newspapers lifted a self-imposed gag(An obstacle to or a censoring of free speech.
) on the CIA links of Raymond Davis, in place on the request of the US administration, The Express Tribune has now learnt that the alleged killer of two Pakistanis had close links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The New York Times reported on Monday that Davis “was part of a covert, CIA-led team of operatives conducting surveillance on militant groups deep inside the country, according to American government officials.”
This contradicts the US claim that Davis was a member of the ‘technical and administrative staff’ of its diplomatic mission in Pakistan.
Davis was arrested on January 27 after allegedly shooting dead two young motorcyclists at a crowded bus stop in Lahore. American officials say that the arrest came after a ‘botched robbery attempt’.
“The Lahore killings were a blessing in disguise for our security agencies who suspected that Davis was masterminding terrorist activities in Lahore and other parts of Punjab,” a senior official in the Punjab police claimed.
“His close ties with the TTP were revealed during the investigations,” he added. “Davis was instrumental in recruiting young people from Punjab for the Taliban to fuel the bloody insurgency.” Call records of the cellphones recovered from Davis have established his links with 33 Pakistanis, including 27 militants from the TTP and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi sectarian outfit, sources said.
Davis was also said to be working on a plan to give credence to the American notion that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are not safe. For this purpose, he was setting up a group of the Taliban which would do his bidding.
The larger picture
Davis’s arrest and detention has pulled back the curtain on a web of covert American operations inside Pakistan.
The former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had cut a secret deal with the US in 2006, allowing clandestine CIA operations in his country. This was done to make the Americans believe that Islamabad was not secretly helping the Taliban insurgents.
Under the agreement, the CIA was allowed to acquire the services of private security firms, including Blackwater (Xe Worldwide) and DynCorp to conduct surveillance on the Taliban and al Qaeda.
According to The New York Times, even before his arrest, Davis’s CIA affiliation was known to Pakistani authorities. It added that his visa, presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in late 2009, describes his job as a “regional affairs officer,” a common job description for officials working with the agency.
American officials said that with Pakistan’s government trying to clamp down on the increasing flow of CIA officers and contractors trying to gain entry to Pakistan, more of these operatives have been granted “cover” as embassy employees and given diplomatic passports.
However, “The government and security agencies were surprised to know that Davis and some of his colleagues were involved in activities that were not spelled out in the agreement,” a source told The Express Tribune.
“Davis’s job was to trail links of the Taliban and al Qaeda in different parts of Pakistan. But, instead, investigators found that he had developed close links with the TTP,” added the source.
Investigators had recovered 158 items from Davis, which include a 9mm Gloc Pistol, five 9mm magazines, 75 bullets, GPS device, an infrared torch, a wireless set, two mobile phones, a digital camera, a survival kit, five ATM cards, and Pakistani and US currency notes, sources said.
The camera had photographs of Pakistan’s defence installations.
Intelligence officials say that some of the items recovered from Davis are used by spies, not diplomats. This proves that he was involved in activities detrimental to Pakistan’s national interests.
The Punjab law minister has said that Davis could be tried for anti-state activities. “The spying gadgets and sophisticated weapons recovered are never used by diplomats,” Rana Sanaullah told The Express Tribune.
He said some of the items recovered from Davis have been sent for a detailed forensic analysis. “A fresh case might be registered against Davis under the [Official] Secrets Act once the forensics report was received,” he said.
Sanaullah said that Davis could also be tried under the Army Act. To substantiate his viewpoint, he said recently 11 persons who had gone missing from Rawalpindi’s Adiyala jail were booked under the Army Act.
However, a senior lawyer said that only the Army has the authority to register a case under the Army Act of 1952 against any person who is involved in activities detrimental to the army or its installations.
“Such an accused will also be tried by the military court,” Qazi Anwer, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association said. He added that the civil authorities could register a case of espionage against any person.
But interestingly, despite all the evidence of Davis’s involvement in espionage, the federal government is unlikely to try him for spying.
“He will be prosecuted only on charges of killing of two men in Lahore,” highly-placed sources told The Express Tribune.
The Davis saga has strained relations between Pakistan and the United States, creating a dilemma for the PPP-led government.
More pressure
The pressure on the Pakistan government to release Davis has been steadily intensifying.
According to The New York Times, “there have been a flurry of private phone calls to Pakistan from Leon E Panetta, the CIA director, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all intended to persuade the Pakistanis to release the secret operative.” WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ASAD KHARAL IN LAHORE
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2011.
=============
Davis is CIA contractor: US sources
By AFP / Reuters
Published: February 21, 2011
British newspaper The Guardian claims Raymond Davis is a CIA operative. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: Raymond Davis is employed by the CIA as a contractor but was not involved in covert operations, US sources closely following the case said on Monday.
Davis, who is being held in a Lahore jail amid a tense US-Pakistan diplomatic dispute over whether he has diplomatic immunity, was working as a “protective officer,” the sources said.
Davis’ duties as a protective officer — essentially a bodyguard — were to provide physical security to US Embassy and consular officers, as well as visiting American dignitaries, US officials who declined to be identified told Reuters.
The officials strongly denied news reports alleging Davis was part of a covert CIA-led team of operatives conducting surveillance on militant groups in Pakistan. The officials insisted Davis was not part of any undercover operations team.
Two US sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that Davis, a former member of the US Special Forces, had previously worked on contract as a security officer for Xe Services, a controversial private contractor formerly known as Blackwater.
Asked during a conference call with reporters about a link between Davis and the CIA,
US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley declined to comment.
“We will not comment on his particular activity in Pakistan other than to say he is a member of the administrative and technical staff of the embassy and has diplomatic immunity.”
“Certain Pakistani officials have proclaimed his guilt before any legal proceeding has reached a conclusion. That’s not the way the rule of law should work in that country or elsewhere,” a US official said“Davis is a protective officer, someone who provides security to US officials in Pakistan. Rumors to the contrary are simply wrong,” the official added..
Earlier today, AFP quoted a
Pakistani intelligence official as saying that Davis is an undercover CIA contractor.
“It is beyond any shadow of a doubt that he was working for CIA,” an official from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“He’s on contract. He’s not a regular CIA guy, but he’s working for CIA. That’s confirmed,” the Pakistani official said.
Pakistan’s powerful intelligence services and military have been angered by accusations that they support Taliban and al Qaeda-linked networks fighting US troops in Afghanistan, and need to do more to eliminate militants.
Few in Pakistan believe Davis, who reportedly worked for a security contractor and had a background in US Special Forces, is a regular diplomat.
Police told AFP they recovered a Glock pistol, four loaded magazines, a GPS navigation system and a small telescope from his car, after the shooting on a busy street in Lahore on January 27.
A third Pakistani was struck down and killed by a US diplomatic vehicle that came to Davis’s assistance. US officials denied Pakistan access to the vehicle and the occupants are widely believed to have left the country.
Washington insists that Raymond Davis, who says he acted in self-defence, is a member of its Islamabad embassy’s “administrative and technical staff” who has diplomatic immunity and should be released immediately.
But the unpopular government in Pakistan is under huge pressure from the political opposition not to cave in to US demands, with analysts even warning that the case could bring down the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Washington has postponed a round of talks with Afghanistan and Pakistan, but Islamabad has said the matter is before the courts, although one compromise would be for the families to pardon Davis, in keeping with Islamic law.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told the lower house on Monday that he was confident “that both the Pakistani and the US governments will not allow the Davis case to come in the way of mutually beneficial partnership”.
He said Pakistan was mindful of its international obligations under the Vienna Convention and other agreements.
But he added: “I want to assure this house and the nation that my government will not compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty and dignity. We are a responsible government and conscious of the sentiments of our people.”
On Monday, a judge at the Lahore High Court ordered the government to appear on March 14 to respond to private petitions related to Davis’ incarceration, the law on diplomatic privileges.
The court last week deferred any judgement on whether Davis has diplomatic immunity and gave the foreign ministry until March 14 to determine his status.
US Senator John Kerry visited Pakistan last week to express regret and say Davis would face a criminal investigation at home, but hopes for a swift resolution now appear unlikely.
Local analysts suggested Pakistani intelligence had deliberately decided to complicate the case in order to put pressure on the government and the United States, with whom relations have been troubled over the war in Afghanistan.
“This would be seen as a kind of deliberate attempt to make the situation more difficult and complex to handle, and this provides additional material to the Islamic groups to adopt a hardline stance,” said analyst Hasan Askari.
“These (intelligence) groups are not happy with the way America was building pressure on Pakistan on the war on terrorism. “If it goes to the street and massive agitation, all political parties will find it a good opportunity to knock the PPP out of power,” he said.
So sensitive is the case that Fauzia Wahab, spokeswoman for the ruling party, was forced to resign after saying that diplomats have immunity and that Davis had an “official” visa.
The PPP has also ditched former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a recent cabinet reshuffle.
Qureshi, who was still in his post at the time of the shootings, said last week that in his view Davis did not have full diplomatic immunity.
The Pakistani intelligence official said the Davis case had soured relations with the Central Intelligence Agency.
“Our relations with the CIA are now sort of pretty dicey. It has affected our relationship,” the official told AFP.
For more on this issue follow: raymonddavis
=========
The rise and fall of Shah Mahmood QureshiBy Zafar Hilaly
Published: February 19, 2011
The writer is an analyst and a former ambassador to Yemen, Nigeria and Italy
Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s performance at his press conference on February 16 deserved a curtain call. His vocation(A regular occupation, especially one for which a person is particularly suited or qualified.
) should have been the stage, rather than politics. The affected manner, the dramatic pauses, the contrived humility, letting his expression suggest what words cannot, the fact that he did not actually cry while he made his audience think that he was crying were all expressions of that neurotic impulse( A person prone to excessive anxiety and emotional upset.)
that actors develop for the stage. Perhaps if Qureshi really wants to be taken seriously, he should quit acting because that would be a sign of maturity.
On the Raymond Davis matter, he prevaricated(To stray from or evade the truth; ) when certainty was required; he kept quiet when he needed to speak out and then spoke out when it was best to be silent. What he should have done when he discovered that his take on the Raymond Davis matter differed from that of the leadership of his party — and indeed that they differed on politics and not only principles, because some were contemplating doctoring documents — was to resign and not wait to be booted out which, for all practical purposes, he was.
The trouble with Qureshi, like his icon Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is that he, too, is a compulsive performer. All politicians are vain but like ZA Bhutto, Qureshi does not wear his vanity(Excessive pride in one's appearance or accomplishments; conceit.) lightly. Moreover, he wraps himself up in the flag at the slightest opportunity. Ever the egotist(A selfish, self-centered person.
), Qureshi has assumed the role of the wronged patriot much as ZA Bhutto did in 1966 by raising the Tashkent bogey. Faced with the prospect of having lost his job, Qureshi also lashed out at the regime to which he had sworn fealty-(The oath of such fidelity.
), in which he had prospered and by which he had been rewarded with high office. But all that Qureshi has succeeded in achieving is to widen suspicion about his loyalty which had always been loitering in the minds of PPP stalwarts, from a chink(A narrow opening, such as a crack or fissure.
) into a veritable chasm(A pronounced difference of opinion, interests, or loyalty.
). Needless to say, like Bhutto, who never disclosed the secret clauses of Tashkent — because there were none — we probably won’t ever know what further disclosures Qureshi has up his sleeve.
By exaggerating achievements of his nondescript(Lacking distinctive qualities; having no individual character or form:) and relatively brief tenure as foreign minister and laying on self-praise with a trowel, the impression he gave was exactly the opposite of what he intended. It made him sound much like a mother who talks about her own children. Or, better still, like the fly that sat on the axle wheel of the Roman chariot and said ‘see what dust I raise’.
However, while ZA Bhutto had several solid achievements to brag about during his long stint as foreign minister, Qureshi has none. If he stood tall, it is only because, like Gulliver(An Englishman who travels to the imaginary lands of Lilliput, Brobdingnag, and Laputa and the country of the Houyhnhnms in Jonathan Swift's satire Gulliver's Travels (1726).
), he served among Lilliputians.
To claim, for example, that the mention of Kashmir in his speech at the UN was a singular contribution to the Kashmiri cause amounted to what one friend described kindly as “superfluity of excess,” which is longhand for lies. The brave Kashmiris are responsible for returning the Kashmir dispute to the forefront of the international agenda, not Qureshi’s prattling(To utter or express by chattering foolishly or babbling.
) from the UN podium.
Qureshi’s other claim that, but for him, the India-Pakistan dialogue would not have resumed, was more revealing of the novice that he was, and remains, when it comes to foreign affairs. It is mostly to India’s advantage that talks resume with Pakistan. India is seeking support for her candidature for permanent membership of the Security Council and talks, even if only for the sake of talking, help to show India as being conciliatory. It deflects attention from Delhi’s depredations(A predatory attack; a raid.
Damage or loss; ravage:) in Kashmir, which have aroused outrage in India and abroad. On the other hand, talks and their inevitably inconclusive outcome serve no purpose for Pakistan. Thanks to this government and the other preceding it, we no longer have an image that is worth our while to maintain.
Qureshi made much of the fact that he had refused to be pressurised by his own party leaders on Raymond Davis because he did not want to be a party to the killing of ‘innocent’ Pakistanis. Indeed, if the victims are found to be innocent, that would be justifiable cause for elation.(A lifting up by success; exaltation; inriation with pride of prosperity. ) However, at the time that he was ‘heroically’ resisting such pressure, and even now, it is by no means certain that the two motorcyclists were entirely innocent. When Qureshi declared them innocent, not even the police had made up their minds, what to speak of the court where the trial has yet to begin. Was he trying to say that he knew that Davis is a homicidal maniac because who else will kill people merely because they were hanging around his car?
As for the ‘consultations’ that Qureshi claims he had with ‘experts’ of other departments before arriving at his conclusions, two of those departments, the interior ministry and presumably the intelligence agencies, would have known next to nothing about the Vienna Conventions. As for the legal wing of the Foreign Office, if those manning(To fortify or brace: ) it had been remotely competent, they would have made their living at the Bar.
Qureshi would have been better advised to have got expert advice not from his subordinates but from independent experts of repute. Had he done so, he would have realised that the entire matter of the status of Raymond Davis hinged on the fact of whether he was a member of the technical and administrative staff of the embassy, as the Americans claim, in which case he has blanket immunity, or whether he is a consular official attached to the US consulate, in which case he does not.
One should have been able to say with near certainty that Shah Mahmood Qureshi has burnt his boats with the PPP and that his open defiance of the party leadership is as transparent an effort as any that can be made to carve out a bloc of his own supporters within the party, or perhaps to leave it altogether. However, the PPP is now in the hands of people who are all ‘loyal’ to the party, but in their own fashion and only for the moment. The likes of them may well welcome him back when, in fact, he should be stiff armed into oblivion.(The condition or quality of being completely forgotten:)
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2011.
======
andleeb.abbas1@gmail.com
VIEW: Integrity loot sale —Andleeb Abbas
The media that has played a pivotal role in creating awareness in the country has gone overboard on Raymond Davis’ case. TV channels and their star anchors have latched on to this opportunity for snatching viewership from one another with gimmicks, which have become boring
With an absolute loss of demand, a clearance sale becomes the inevitable strategy. Being a captive customer of one client makes it impossible to bargain and negotiate. Such is the state of helplessness displayed by the government. How can any foreign country or individual come into your territory, bomb or kill without fear of the consequences, until and unless they have access guaranteed, let off warranted, by men who have the power to absolve them of crimes unforgivable. For the Americans it has been easy picking. A government bankrupt, leaders greedy for all, an opposition waiting for their turn to get their share of the loot, makes it all a tempting invitation for those who want to get the maximum with minimal effort.
The Raymond Davis case is just a culminating illumination of the loss of substance and character this leadership has been consistently displaying in their three-year rule. Their perseverance with giving in to all the demands of the US has left the Americans a bit surprised on the delay in the Raymond Davis case. The ease with which all their demands on drones and the economy have been granted had made them complacent about this being another open and shut diplomatic immunity case. However, Senator John Kerry had to make an official visit to Pakistan and Obama had to make stern comments in his press conference to pressurise Pakistan into subjugation for the umpteenth time. This case has become such a trigger point, thanks to the mishandling of both the countries involved, coupled with a scandal-hungry media, that nobody really knows where it is going to end up.
The government miscalculated on many counts. First, they were confident that the ministry of foreign affairs will declare Raymond a diplomat and grant him blanket immunity and thus set him scot-free; they were rudely shocked by Shah Mehmood’s defiance. Second, they thought the families of the killed people would accept compensation and forgive Raymond, which so far also looks like a remote possibility. Third, they estimated that John Kerry’s visit to Pakistan would change public opinion in favour of the US, another random thought that proved a non-starter. The statements issued and withdrawn by Fauzia Wahab reflect a complete lack of understanding of the situation and a typically shortsighted response to a boiling hotpot. The result — let us axe Fauzia from the post and bring Kaira in. Their insecure approach has given rise to another danger within, where the fear of becoming the scapegoat is turning their own loyalists into opportunists. Shah Mehmood Qureshi has become a hero by default, who has exploited the terrible image of the party by declaring himself a dissident who did not want to lie about Raymond’s immunity status. It is not really as much a case of Qureshi’s hour of honour as much as the contrasting dishonour present in PPP ranks that has given the ex-foreign minister an opportunity to pose as a man wronged for doing the right thing. Is it actually a loss of ministry or really a revival of integrity?
The American strategy of dealing with this problem has been predictable. They have commanded and demanded that Raymond be handed over, and if not, then no money, no visas, and no political benefits that the government has been begging for in return for their acquiescence to the unethical and immoral incursions of Americans into our territory. Anything that is overused becomes stale. Obama’s dilemma with Pakistan and with so many other contentious issues has been the inability to come up with some creative solutions. His great rhetorical ability has, over time, become just another attempt to garner the quote of the week award rather than any blazing spur on dynamic new avenues of doing what has not been done before. Obama’s failure to change the way Washington operates is an admission of weak and unimaginative leadership. For years Americans have in their foreign policy nourished corrupt, despotic governments on their aid dole outs and have impoverished these countries as a consequence. What has happened in the Middle East should be evidence enough that the old strategy is obsolete and the new generation will not be subdued by the old force-and-fear style of leadership, nor be taken in by the lustre of cosmetic American consumerism. As country after country in the Middle East rejects the American-sponsored puppet governments, Mr Obama will realise that along with the domestic economy getting out of hand, foreign policy may become an irreparable embarrassment. Wherefore art thou integrity to own up to these fatal flaws?
The media that has played a pivotal role in creating awareness in the country has gone overboard on Raymond Davis’ case. TV channels and their star anchors have latched on to this opportunity for snatching viewership from one another with gimmicks, which have become boring. The integrity of some of these anchors has been pathetically exposed. Their power to influence public opinion has made them ideal negotiators for price deals for every word that they utter. Some of them have made such about turns in their stances that we all know that it is more than just an overnight change of mind and heart. Ethics and integrity for some of these stalwarts are obviously just meant for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA’s) code of conduct book on the shelf.
The people of this nation are in the agony of suspense. The case of Raymond Davis will next be heard on March 14. This will give the government a time out to decide which way to go. They are again resorting to their original brilliant idea of calling a roundtable conference to somehow rummage a solution that will bring them out of the soup. For them it is damned if they do and damned if they do not. The public will not forgive this act of national treachery if the government tries to smuggle Raymond out of this mess, and the Americans are not going let their stooges get away with this disobedience if Raymond gets convicted. But, then, that is the penalty paid by leaders who are hollow in character, weak on courage and dithering on integrity.
For the people of Pakistan it is decision time. They can either treat it as one more “consequence of a nascent democracy” and wait for this system to become strong enough to bear fruit or to decide that matters of self-respect, self-esteem and national honour are never to be given up, are never to be compromised and never to be sacrificed. The choice of the right path will be the remaking of this nation.
The writer is a consultant and can be reached at andleeb.abbas1@gmail.com
===
Driver who killed Ibad-ur-Rehman reaches US
Driver who killed Ibad-ur-Rehman reaches US According to US media, the driver who ran his vehicle over Ibad-ur-Rehman, has reached US, Dunya News reported today. The driver of the vehicle held the same diplomatic visa as Davis, US officials told ABC News. Authorities in Punjab said that they sent five letters to the US Embassy asking that the driver and vehicle be handed over, but have reportedly received no response. It is unclear when the driver and his passenger were spirited out of Pakistan, but a senior US official said it happened soon after the shooting incident.
A Pakistani court has demanded the arrest of a second US official in connection with Raymond David case, who has already slipped out of the country and is back on American soil, a senior US official told ABC News.
The American sought for arrest, who the State Department only identified as a member of the US embassy s staff in Islamabad, Pakistan, was behind the wheel when he struck and killed a bystander while racing to the aid of US "technical advisor" Raymond Davis, who is currently detained in Lahore.
======
Davis won’t be tried for espionage, Kerry assured
By Qaiser Butt
Published: February 19, 2011
US senator John Kerry (L) shakes hands with Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani prior to a meeting at The Prime Minister House in Islamabad on February 16, 2011. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have assured US Senator John Kerry that American “consular employee” Raymond Davis, who is facing double murder charges, will not be tried on espionage charges, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Senator Kerry, who had spearheaded the $7.5 billion aid package for Pakistan in the US Congress, had a whirlwind tour of Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss the Davis issue.
This is notwithstanding the fact that Davis has admitted during the course of investigation that he was involved in spying in Pakistan. Sources say that the police have a recorded a confessional statement made by Davis.
Sources told The Express Tribune that Senator Kerry was also assured that Islamabad would not demand the custody of the three US nationals, who were in the vehicle which had crushed to death another Pakistani and are now believed to be hiding in the US consulate-general in Lahore.
They were in a Prado jeep trying to rescue Davis after he allegedly shot dead two young motorcyclists in a busy marketplace of Lahore on January 27.
The Punjab police and intelligence officials, however, claim that they have strong evidence suggesting that the three men are also high-profile ‘spies’ like Davis.
“The evidence was provided by Davis in his confessional statement during investigation,” a senior police official told The Express Tribune, requesting anonymity. “We have concluded that a gang of American spies is active in Punjab and other parts of the country,” he added.
The official said that “besides Davis’s confessional statement we have every reason to believe that the three absconding persons were his collaborators.”
“They must be involved in spying like Davis. If this was not the case why did they flee the crime scene in panic,” the official said. “In their panic, they had crushed to death a motorcyclist under their SUV while fleeing the scene.”
The official questioned why nobody was demanding diplomatic immunity for the three men, if they were members of the US mission in Pakistan. “This criminal silence on the part of the Americans shows there is something fishy,” the official said.
The official believes that the mounting US pressure for Davis’s release was aimed at covering the three ‘agents’. “None of the US officials has spoken a single word about the three US nationals believed to be hiding in the US consulate-general in Lahore.” “Protecting the people wanted by police is a serious crime,” the official said and added that under the international laws, protectors of criminals are considered to be collaborators in the crime.
The Punjab police have requested the ministry of foreign affairs for help in getting the custody of the three US nationals but to no avail. The capital city police officer Lahore (CCPO) has also informed the ministry about the contents of the FIR registered against the ‘unidentified’ men travelling in the consulate’s Prado.
The Prado jeep is said to have a fake registration number, which was originally issued to a Suzuki Cultus car.
Investigators believe that the three American nationals who had come to Davis’s rescue are also US spies and they had come to the scene to take safe custody of secret documents and photographs from Davis.
“We have every reason to believe that Davis had called the three men to collect the ‘material’ which is now in the possession of police,” the official said.
The Punjab government’s unflinching stance on the issue stems from the fact that it is convinced of Davis’s involvement in anti-Pakistan activities, a source said.
Meanwhile on the political front, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had a meeting at the President House where the Davis issue, particularly the mounting US pressure for his release, was discussed. A short statement issued after the meeting did not give details of the meeting. “Issues relating to the war against militancy were discussed during the meeting,” it said. However, sources said that the meeting focused on the Pak-US diplomatic spat over Davis and Pakistan’s policy viz-a-viz the issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2011.
====
Chasing the Arab landlords before the USraeli tenants Why no USraeli flags were burned in Arab Capitals? #1 Adanan Darwash
Group:
Guests Posted Yesterday, 09:20 AM
Chasing the Arab landlords before the USraeli tenants
Many political commentators were surprised that despite the rage and anger against US unlimited support for Israeli atrocities, no USraeli flags were burned in the streets of Tunis, Cairo, Amman, Manama, Sana´ or Baghdad. It is a from of Arab people maturity concentrating the efforts first on exposing and ousting the corrupt autocratic rulers who have invited the US to establish military bases in their countries, rewarding America with fat oil and weapon contracts that is despite the American destruction of fellow Arab country, Iraq, and the killing its people.
In Tunisia, CIA agent and former police general, Bin Ali, has normalised relations with Israel and collaborated with Israeli MOSSAD in the assassination of PLO leader, Abu Jihad, in 1988, while residing in the country. It is not of any use burning the Israeli flag or blowing up the Ghriba Synagogue in Jerba but it is more effective to cut the legs of the Israeli agents in Tunisia by removing the corrupt traitor, Bin Ali and his regime all together.
Similarly, the corrupt Housni Mubarak and his gang have been instrumental in promoting USraeli interests at the expense of Arab or Egyptian national interests. Mubarak helped the Americans in the invasion of Iraq. He had also supported the Israeli attack on Gaza and on Lebanon, respectively in 2008 and 2006. He was also promoting USraeli campaign against Iran.
And how would any Arab, Muslim or any human being accepts the imprisonment of fellow 1.8 million Arabs in Gaza in collaboration with the Israelis and their mentors the Americans? Let America stands on its head, the future Egyptian landlords will not welcome, or dine and wine with Israeli war criminals at Sharma Al-Sheikh, let alone threaten any Arab country using Egyptian support*.
Sooner than later, other USraeli agents in governments will face a similar fate as US Middle East policy has been humiliating and damaging to Arabs and will not be allowed to continue. Using corrupt and aging autocrats to promote Israeli designs, The US has pushed Arabs to the point where there is no need for Bin Laden or Al-Qaeda to attack America, but to topple and prosecute its Arab agents in government.
I am referring to the current dominant forces in the Middle East. The Israelis have been occupying Palestine since 1948. Israel is in breach or 39 UN Security Council resolutions. They detain, torture and kill Palestinians with impunity. All above crimes have been supported by successive US administrations. The influence of UK, France, Italy and Germany is limited to supporting the USraeli designs in the area.
Fortunately, the American role is waning and as a result, democracies may thrive. The Americans have difficulty dealing with honest national leaders and work hard to support corrupt autocrats. The US is in a hopeless position right now since it cann´t change its Middle East policies dictated by Jewish advisors and the mighty Jewish lobby.
Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times
* It was recently revealed that Tizi Livni, Israel former foreign minister, was treated with, French Chapign, Russian Caviar and Swiss chocolate after announcing Israel's intention to invade Gaza in 2008.
============
LHC orders arrest of US consulate vehicle driver
By Express / Reuters
Published: February 18, 2011
Protesters torch an effigy of US senator John Kerry and a US flag during a demonstration against arrested US national Raymond Davis, in Multan on February 17, 2011. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered Punjab Police to arrest the driver of the US vehicle that ran over a man in Lahore while trying to aid Raymond Davis on January 27.
The court ordered police to impound the vehicle that ran over Ibadur Rehman and to record his brother’s statement.
These directives were issued after the court was informed that the vehicle belonged to the US Consulate.
Earlier, Ijaz-ur-Rehman, whose brother Ibad was killed, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court demanding the car’s driver be arrested, lawyer Noman Atiq said.
Atiq said his client had asked for the vehicle, which the US State Department said was driven by an embassy staff member, be impounded.
“We want a proper investigation to be carried out in the murder of my brother,” Rehman said.
“What we want is for the culprits to be punished for their crime,” he said.
The identity of the US embassy employee who drove the car that struck and killed Ibadur Rehman has not been made public.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said officials were pressing the federal government to arrange for the car to be handed over from the United States, but had not yet received a reply.
====
US Justice sucks
Written by Yvonne Ridley
Monday, 03 January 2011
America’s international standing as a fair and just country does not match its superpower status as the world's greatest democracy.
When it comes to basic human rights it is there in the gutter alongside some of the world's most toxic, tinpot dictatorships and authoritarian regimes.
So there's little surprise that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange fears being extradited to The States where some politicians and Pentagon officials have already called for his execution and Attorney General Eric Holder admits his government may invoke the US Espionage Act.
But it's not just the persecution and the prosecution Assange should fear, either – the wheels of justice can be agonisingly slow in a process which could take years. And in the case of the Guantanamo detainees there is no end in sight – the majority of them have not been charged but simply forgotten.
Having stepped inside US prisons – both military and civilian – I can tell you there is nothing civilised about the penal institutions in the United States.
Four days of filming inside Guantanamo and half a day at one of California’s largest young offenders prisons provided me with enough material to reach this conclusion, bearing in mind as a journalist I was just shown “the good bits”!
Having also viewed CCTV footage of detainees in US institutions being strip and cavity searched was equally traumatic and for those who showed the slightest resistance a procedure would follow which in my view is tantamount to gang rape.
Frankly, I was appalled by what I saw inside American jails and the interviews and research which followed did not make easy reading.
I wondered how the US could really describe itself as a civilised, mature democracy.
And if you doubt my judgment here are a few statistics to play with in a prison system where 70 per cent of the inmates are non-whites.
* The US has a higher percentage of its citizenry in prison than any other country in history.
* 25 percent of the world’s prison population – around 2.3 million – are caged in America.
* More than a quarter of US inmates are black males between the ages of 20 and 39 and over the course of a lifetime, 28 percent of all black American men will have spent some time behind bars in what can only be described as a racist-driven judicial system.
As 2011 dawns the British Prime Minister David Cameron is faced with some hard choices this year, none more difficult than probably deciding whether or not to scrap our extradition treaty with the US and refuse to hand over a group of British citizens to Barak Obama’s America.
And make no mistake, if he wanted to, he could tell the Obama Administration to “get stuffed”. His coalition government is stronger than the previous Labour governments … under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown human rights, civil liberties and freedoms were diminished both at home and abroad.
It was Blair’s government that introduced the one-sided 2003 Extradition Treaty to please and appease the Bush Administration. Legislation drawn up in panic and haste is never a good idea nor was it wise to allow America to extend its jurisdiction in to the UK for that is exactly what has happened. And I wonder if the legislation was really drawn up by UK lawyers since a close inspection of the original documents reveal the liberal use of American English.
I would urge Cameron to resist all of the existing US Extradition requests just as he would if the same demands were being made by some Banana Republic.
This has nothing to do with innocence or guilt, by the way, but everything to do with the just treatment of human beings – justice should be meted out equally, without fear or favour but in America the accused are often judged by the colour of their skin, religion and class.
The evidence is there for all to see – America’s human rights record is appalling, the prison system is a disgrace and the way it treats its own convicted citizens, let alone foreigners, is primitive.
Gareth Peirce, an internationally acclaimed and respected solicitor based in London explains in her book Dispatches from the Dark Side: “Guilty pleas resolve 97% of US trials, an extraordinary statistic inevitably achieved by the defendant's apprehension of what lies ahead – not just for the 'worst of the worst' – and a desire to avoid, at any cost, the US law's most extreme application.”
A number of her clients including Syed Talha Ahsan, Babar Ahmad, Adel Abdel Bary and Khalid al-Fawwaz have been held in British prisons for a record amount of years fighting extradition to the US.
All of these men protest their innocence and would welcome their day in court – a British court. However the evidence against them is either so flimsy or non existent that police in the UK have no intention of wasting public money on trials which will end up being laughed out of court.
Which takes us back to the 2003 US Extradition agreement in which the Blair government tied the hands of the UK judiciary beyond sound judgment. Now any slight allegation made by the US should be regarded in British courts as solid proof.
By the way it’s not a two-way system. Should the UK ever wish to extradite a US citizen the evidence supplied must be well documented, concrete and factual and able to withstand the scrutiny of a US judge.
Britain’s legal system became the basis for most others in the world. It is based on presumed innocence and a trial by a jury of one’s peers which emanates from our rights as set out in the Magna Carta of 1215, a noble document which has stood the test of time.
pet·it jury also pet·ty jury (pĕt'ē)
n.
A jury that sits at civil and criminal trials. Also called trial jury
The 2003 extradition treaty is a complete betrayal of those basic rights. A victim of the treaty faces being locked up without evidence and has no right to a trial by jury and gone is the presumption of innocence.
We cannot allow anyone in UK custody or under 'house arrest' like Julian Assange to be extradited to the US. You just have to look at the treatment of its own citizens to realise this.
Bradley Manning, the 22-year-old US Army Private accused of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, has been held in solitary confinement for the last seven months, despite not having been convicted of any crime.
Manning has been kept alone in a cell for 23 hours a day, barred from exercising in that cell, deprived of sleep, and denied even a pillow or sheets for his bed. Unsurprisingly he now relies on anti-depressants to cope with the effects of isolation. No date for a court hearing has been set.
Make no mistake, this sort of treatment is torture and we, as a civilised nation can not send anyone in to the hands of the US judicial system which openly tortures its own citizens as well as others.
By the time his brains are completely scrambled and he’s addicted to his medication I'm sure some sleazy, government prosecutor will offer him a plea bargain which is another disgraceful and routine feature of US justice. In exchange for dishing the dirt, real or imagine, on Julian Assange, Manning will be pressurised to cut a deal.
I would urge the British Prime Minister to tear up the 2003 extradition treaty now, tell Obama to get stuffed and instruct the Foreign Office to issue a travel warning advisory for any UK citizens contemplating a trip to America.
Yvonne Ridley is the European President of the International Muslim Women’s Union who came to fame when she ventured into Afghanistan after 9/11 and was captured by Taliban. Later released and then she studied Islam and became a Muslim. She is an activist, present everywhere against tyranny, injustice and oppression.
===
Shake-up in the Foreign Office
By Qaiser Butt
Published: February 18, 2011
Basit was appointed as Additional Secretary Foreign Affairs to the EU. PHOTO: FILE/AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Abdul Basit, the recently-removed Foreign Office spokesperson, could just be the first casualty of the diplomatic-cum-political row caused by detained US citizen Raymond Davis.
A major reshuffle is on the cards at the Foreign Office with secretary Salman Bashir likely to be replaced soon with Zamir Akram, currently serving as Pakistan’s ambassador in Geneva, according to well-placed sources.
The stance of both Bashir and Basit regarding Davis’ status is said to have annoyed the government, the source added.
During his last press briefing, Basit refuted claims by certain quarters of the media that the foreign ministry had communicated to the ministry of law that Davis enjoyed diplomatic immunity – saying that, in fact, Davis was not entitled to blanket immunity for gunning down two Pakistanis in Lahore.
Basit’s statement was in line with the stance taken by former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who has now been isolated by the government.
Basit has been posted as the additional secretary Europe and in his place as the spokesperson comes Tehmina Janjua, a young officer.
Meanwhile, Salman Bashir is also said to be refusing to accept the government’s version on Davis’ immunity, the source explained.
The Additional Secretary for Americas Desk, Mohammad Naeem Khan, said to be Bashir’s blue-eyed officer, is also being shuffled and posted as the additional secretary administration. Alamgir Babar, Pakistan’s ambassador to Brazil, is expected to replace him.
Additional Secretary Administration Ishtiaq Indrabi, who was to assume responsibilities as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has been removed. He was said to be a close confidante of the former foreign minister.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Bahrain, Ikramullah, is likely to be appointed as the additional secretary foreign affairs in the prime minister’s secretariat. The present additional secretary Abdul Malik is about to leave for Australia to serve as the new high commissioner.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2011.
===
Raymond Davis case: No prosecutor from US consulate to appear in court today
Raymond Davis case: No prosecutor from US consulate to appear in court today It is known that regarding Raymond Davis case, no prosecutor from US consulate will appear in court today. According to sources, US consulate is waiting for Federal government to provide its answer to court regarding the Raymond Davis case.
A new strategy will be devised after discussion with senior prosecutors, once an answer by Federal government is provided; where as the lawyers have given this opinion that US consulate has not been made a part of this case so far. Therefore court has not decided about the trial.
==========
More killings will occur if I forgive my son’s murder: Faheem’s Father
More killings will occur if I forgive my son’s murder: Faheem’s Father Shamshad Ali’s son, Faheem who was murder by the hands of Raymond Davis, says that if he forgives his son’s murder, then more killing will take place with no justice.
Shamshad while talking to Dunya News said that if he lets go of his son’s murderers then more killing are going to take place. He said that he will not sell his son’s murder and the murderer has to be convicted.
=============
Lahore: Raymond Davis to appear in court via video conference
Lahore: Raymond Davis to appear in court via video conference Raymond Davis will appear in court via video conference today; a video screen, four telephones and an audio system have been installed in the courtroom, Dunya News reported.
This video conference being held in Lahore will remain completely confidential. The judge and attorney present in the courtroom will also be able to talk to Raymond via video conference. There are two cases registered against Raymond Davis, one is a double murder and second is carrying illegal weapon. Today Raymond will be trialed for the case for carrying illegal weapon.
=============
'Raymond Davis does not have blanket immunity'
Published: February 16, 2011
Qureshi says his stand is principled and not personal.
ISLAMABAD: Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Wednesday that Raymond Davis, the US consular employee accused of shooting dead two Pakistanis in Lahore, does not enjoy blanket immunity.
Qureshi was recently dropped out of the newly appointed cabinet “over his divergent opinion on the Raymond Davis issue”. His vocal stance has invited scathing criticism from colleagues in the party.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after his meeting with US Senator John Kerry, Qureshi said his stand is principled and not personal. “I will support truth and justice,” he said emphasising that he understands the importance of US-Pak relations.
He said he stands by his words, adding that the dignity and self respect of the nation comes foremost.
Qureshi refuted allegations made against him in the past few days. Responding to allegations of being sympathetic to former president Pervez Musharraf, he said”I was a part of a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), I am part of PPP and my relation with the PPP will continue because I believe in the principles of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the sacrifice of Benazir Bhutto.”
Earlier, media reports had quoted a Pakistani official as saying that Davis has diplomatic immunity and the case for this would be presented in court. Requesting anonymity, the official said, “We will present all relevant laws and rules about immunity before the court and will plead that prima facie it is a case of diplomatic immunity. But it is for the court to decide.”
The row over the case of Raymond Davis shot dead two men in Lahore in what he said was a move in self-defence, has strained relations between the two allies. While the US insists Davis has diplomatic immunity and should be released under the Vienna Conventions, Pakistan has so far refused to come under US pressure saying that the matter is sub judice and the law should be allowed to take its course. Police investigations and the subsequent charge-sheet submitted to the court by the police however says Davis was not acting in self-defence and that the shooting was intentional murder.
Vienna Convention Article 41: Consular can be prosecuted
Vienna Convention Article 41: Consular can be prosecuted The consulate officials enjoy diplomatic immunity according to the Article 41 of Vienna Convention; however, they may be prosecuted on committing any serious crime.
According to the article 41 of Vienna Convention, the officials of any consulate operating in some other country have a diplomatic immunity and cannot be arrested or imprisoned during the hearing process of any case until they commit some serious crime and some judicial authority gave decision against him.
As per the article, if the official of any consulate is prosecuted for some serious crime, he is bound to appear before the concerned authorities; however the process of the prosecution will be conducted according to his designation and official status.
The prosecution against any Consular in all other cases except serious crimes should be conducted in a way that his official assignments are not affected.
======
Pakistan says U.S. prisoner Davis has immunity16 Feb 2011 06:43
Source: reuters // Reuters
* Pakistani government believes Davis has immunity
* Sen. Kerry making U.S. case in Pakistan visit
By Zeeshan Haider
ISLAMABAD, Feb 16 (Reuters) - An American jailed for shooting two Pakistanis is shielded by diplomatic immunity, the Pakistani government said on Wednesday, a move that may help end a bruising row between the troubled allies.
A local court, however, has to decide the fate of Raymond Davis, the U.S. consulate employee who shot and killed two Pakistani men in the city of Lahore last month in what he said was a robbery attempt.
"We will present all relevant laws and rules about immunity before the court and will plead that prima facie it is a case of diplomatic immunity. But it is for the court to decide," a senior Pakistani government official said on condition of anonymity.
The row over the detention of the U.S. national is the latest issue straining ties between two nations that are supposed to be working in concert to stamp out a tenacious Islamist insurgency.
Washington has insisted Davis, whose role at the U.S. consulate in Lahore is unclear, should be released immediately. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama said the United States was working with the Pakistani government to secure the release of the U.S. citizen.
Up to now the Pakistani government, fearful of a backlash from Pakistanis already wary of the United States and enraged by the shooting on a crowded street, had said only that the matter should be decided in court.
The United States is expected to present a petition to a Lahore court on Thursday to certify that Davis has diplomatic immunity and should be released.
Pakistan's Dawn newspaper said the government will inform the Lahore High Court that his status as a member of the consulate's administrative and technical staff made him eligible for diplomatic immunity.
Ties between the United States and Pakistan are already strained by U.S. unmanned drone strikes in the Pakistani northwest on the Afghan border that Pakistanis see as a violation of their sovereignty.
Obama sent Senator John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and member of the Democratic Party, to meet Pakistani officials on Wednesday to try to resolve the crisis. (Additional reporting by Augustine Anthony; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Missy Ryan and Sanjeev Miglani)
(For more Reuters coverage of Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/places/pakistan) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)
==========
Lahore shooting: Obama weighs in on spat
Published: February 16, 2011
US President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington, DC, February 15, 2011. PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON / LAHORE:
US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that Pakistan must respect the diplomatic immunity of US ‘consular employee’ Raymond Davis, who is currently in custody for shooting dead two Pakistanis, in a case straining ties between the allies.
In his first public remarks on the issue, Obama said Washington was working with Islamabad to secure the release of Davis, a former member of US Special Forces, who says he acted in self-defence during an ‘armed robbery’ in Lahore last month.
Washington says Davis has diplomatic immunity and should be released but the Pakistan government, fearful of a backlash at home, says the matter should be decided in court. “If our diplomats are in another country, then they are not subject to that country’s local prosecution,” Obama told a news conference in Washington, referring to the Vienna Conventions. “We respect it with respect to diplomats who are here.”
President Obama said his administration wanted the release of Davis. “We’re going to be continuing to work with the Pakistani government to get this person released,” he added. “Obviously, we’re concerned about the loss of life. We’re not callous about that, but there is a broader principle at stake,” Obama said.
US Senator John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and member of President Barack Obama’s Democratic Party, is expected to meet Pakistani officials on Wednesday to try to resolve the crisis.
He told a news conference in Lahore that Davis has diplomatic immunity but it does not mean that he is above the law. He assured that the US Justice Department would launch a criminal investigation into the matter. He also assured that proper action would be taken against Davis after the completion of investigation.
Senator Kerry said that both Pakistan and the United States are signatory to the Vienna Conventions. “We respect your courts, but everyone should respect the international laws,” he added.
He offered regrets and sympathies with the bereaved family. “We are deeply, deeply sorry for that tragic incident.”
Senator Kerry, who helped spearhead a record $7.5 billion aid package for Pakistan, said that his country wanted to help Pakistan. “I’m not here to be an arbitrator in this case, this is not my job,” he said.
The US senator said the Davis issue would not affect his country’s relations with Pakistan spanning over 60-odd years.
He also sought to tone down rhetoric on the issue, calling for restraint. “All politicians, ours and yours, should step back. We did not show any arrogance but we should respect the law applicable since 50 years.”
Senator Kerry is scheduled to meet Nawaz Sharif, the chief of the ruling party in Punjab, and, if given security clearance, the families of the Lahore shooting victims – Faizan Haider and Faheem Shamshad.
Sharif had had detailed discussions with senior members of his party on the matter on Tuesday. And it was decided that Sharif would tell Senator Kerry that the matter was sub judice and the judicial process should be respected, a well-placed source in the PML-N told The Express Tribune.
An unnamed US official said that Senator Kerry’s mission will be to “help tone down the rhetoric (over the Davis case) and reaffirm the US partnership with Pakistan”.
But an official source said that Washington’s sole concern was not Davis’s fate rather it was concerned about over 500 American intelligence agents who are in Pakistan apparently involved in counter-terrorism operations.
These agents had been given long-term Pakistani visas during the rule of former President Pervez Musharraf and also during the last few months to chase Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in Pakistan, the source said.
The source said that US has already demanded diplomatic status for all of its “men” engaged in counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan..
Agencies with additional reporting by Abdul Manan and Rana Tanvir in Lahore and Qaiser Butt in Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2011.
============
By AFP / Express
Published: January 27, 2011
Policemen stand next to a car, which police said a U.S consulate employee was travelling in when he was engaged in a shoot-out, after it was brought to a police station in Lahore. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
LAHORE:
An American man shot dead two Pakistanis in a street in Lahore city on Thursday. The US citizen told police officials that he fired his pistol in self defence.
“The American national told us he was driving his vehicle and stopped at a traffic signal. He saw motorcycle riders and one pulled out a pistol. The man told us he then pulled out his pistol and fired in self-defence,” Lahore police chief Aslam Tarin told AFP.
“He’s an American national. He’s in our custody and we are investigating.”
A third Pakistani man was killed a short time later when a car from the US consulate in Lahore hit two pedestrians at the scene of the shooting, Tarin added.
“One person died in the accident,” Tarin said.
Television footage showed that a crowd had gathered at the scene of the incidents, setting tyres on fire in protest.
The US embassy in Islamabad confirmed the man involved was a consular official.
“We can confirm he’s a consular employee, but we don’t know exactly what happened. There’s a lot of speculation and we’re speaking with the police to find out exactly what happened,” US embassy spokesman Alberto Rodriguez told AFP.
===
An employee of US Consulate in Lahore killed three people in Lahore, Dunya News reported on Thursday.
According to details, US national named Raymond David shot at 2 persons at Qartaba Chowk and hit another bike rider while driving rashly, in an attempt to to escape the scene. The motorcyclist Ubaidur Rehman was killed on the spot while other two injured -- Faizan Haider and an unidentified person -- succumbed to their injuries in the Services Hospital.
Police apprehended Steve David from Purani Anarkali and confiscated a pistol with bullets and three mobile phones from his possession. Police have taken Raymond's car into custody and started investigation of the incident. The accused told the police that he opened fire on the deceased at Qartaba Chowk, Lahore in his defence as they tried to rob him.
SSP (security) Rana Faisal,while talking to Dunya News, confirmed that the foreigner is a US citizen and the two deceased wanted to stop Raymond on gun point.
Taking serious notice of the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif sought a comprehensive report from the authorities concerned.
US Embassy spokesman in Islamabad said that they are in contact with Pakistani government over the issue.
===
Drama in Lahore: US diplomat faces double murder charge
By Rameez Khan
Published: January 28, 2011
Broken windshield of the US diplomat’s car after he fired at two people in Lahore. PHOTO: IJAZ MAHMOOD
LAHORE:
Two cases, including one for a double murder, have been registered against US diplomats involved in a dramatic shooting and hit-and-run incident, which claimed the lives of three men in Lahore on Thursday.
One diplomat has been charged for murder for killing two men on a motorbike allegedly in self defence, at Lahore’s Qartaba Chowk – while a companion of the diplomat, who is also an American citizen, crushed to death a bike rider in a hit-and-run incident, following the shooting.
The accused diplomat, Raymond Davis, opened fire at the two men – identified as Faizan Hayder, aged 22, and Faheem, 20 – at a traffic signal of Qartaba Chowk, after which he fled from the scene.
Two of his companions, who were in a Land Cruiser, tried to follow him but in an attempt to avoid a traffic jam entered the wrong side of the road and hit a motorcycle, killing one person.
However, two wardens managed to chase the diplomat and apprehended him at the Old Anarkali chowk.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Aslam Tarin confirmed that all three deceased had no previous criminal records, adding that none of them had robbed or fired at the diplomat.
Tareen further said that the American diplomat had shot at them, adding that two FIRs under Section 302 of PPC have been registered against the accused.
One FIR has been registered for shooting and killing two people, while another has registered against the unidentified accused involved in the hit-and-run.
Earlier reports suggested that the police declared those who were killed as armed dacoits. The CCPO had earlier said, “According to the diplomat two bike riders whipped out their pistol after which he fired at them in self defence and tried to flee from the scene.” He said that due to their suspicious movement, Davis thought they wanted to attack him.
Tarin said the accused was still in their custody and after consulting the embassy and prosecutors they would take action against him according to the law. He also said that the accused US diplomat was unable to show legal proof or license for carrying a weapon.
Superintendent of Police Umar Saeed Malik confirmed that both cars belonged to the US consulate. He said that the white car driven by Davis was headed towards a hotel when the incident occurred.
Ali Amjad, an eye witness, told The Express Tribune that the Land Cruiser, while following the fleeing car on Jail Road, collided with a biker identified as Ubaidur Rehman.
Davis’s car while on the run also injured a traffic warden who had tried to stop it. The car finally got stuck in a traffic jam at Anakali and was caught by the chasing warden along with an angry mob, Amjad said.
Raymond was then moved to Old Anarkali police station from where he was escorted to an unknown place by DSP Raza Safdar Kazmi in his official vehicle.
Amjad, who was present at the jail road at the time of the incident, said that the first shot was fired was from the car as, immediately after, the pillion rider fell from the bike. He said that more shots were fired from the car, after which it fled from the scene.
When contacted, US embassy spokesman Alberto Rodriguez told The Express Tribune that the embassy is working closely with the authorities and the consulate in Lahore on the issue. Although he confirmed that the US national is an employee of the consulate, he said he could not confirm his name or portfolio.
Hayder was a resident of Ravi Road and, according to his family, had left the house for the court to pursue a case against the killers of his brother who gunned him down a month ago. The family said that Hayder carried a pistol but only for self-defence. They further said that Hayder was not a dacoit, and was being used as a scapegoat by the police to save the skin of the American diplomat.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2011.
===
Pakistan says law must take its course in US diplomat case
29 Jan 2011
Source: reuters // Reuters
ISLAMABAD, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Pakistan on Saturday said its legal process should be respected after the U.S. embassy called for the immediate release of an American diplomat who was arrested after he killed two Pakistanis this week.
The American, identified by Pakistani police as Raymond Davis, told a court on Friday he had acted in self-defence after fleeing what he said was a robbery attempt in the eastern city of Lahore on Thursday.
Davis has been remanded in police custody for six days for questioning.
"This matter is sub judice in a court of law and the legal process should be respected," a Pakistani foreign office spokesman said in a statement.
The U.S. embassy said in a statement on Friday only that a staff member of the U.S. Consulate General in Lahore was involved in an incident involving "loss of life".
In a statement on Saturday, the embassy identified him as a U.S. diplomat who it said had been unlawfully detained by authorities in Lahore, where the shooting took place.
It said the diplomat acted in self-defence when confronted by two armed men and had every reason to believe they meant to harm him, and said arresting the diplomat was a violation of international norms and the Vienna Convention.
In his initial statement, Davis told police that he was chased by the two men soon after he withdrew money from a cash machine. The men approached him when he pulled over at a traffic signal and they pointed a gun at him.
Davis then fired at the men, a police official said. Armed robberies and carjackings are becoming more common in Pakistan, but Westerners are rarely targeted.
The killings are likely to fuel anger against the United States in the mainly Muslim nation where anti-American sentiment runs high and anger at the U.S.-allied government is also growing due to its perceived ineptitude. (Reporting by Augustine Anthony, Editing by Michael Georgy and Sonya Hepinstall)
============
US embassy demands immediate release of Davis
By AFP / Express
Published: January 29, 2011
US consulate employee Davis is escorted by police and officials after appearing before a judge in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The United States embassy in Islamabad on Saturday called for the immediate release of Raymond Davis, the US official who was arrested for gunning down two men in Lahore on Thursday.
The US embassy said the diplomat was unlawfully detained in Lahore.
“When detained, the US diplomat identified himself to police as a diplomat and repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the embassy said in a statement.
It added, “Local police and senior authorities failed to observe their legal obligation to verify his status with either the US consulate general in Lahore or the US embassy in Islamabad”.
“Furthermore, the diplomat was formally arrested and remanded into custody, which is a violation of international norms and the Vienna Convention, to which Pakistan is a signatory.”
The man, named as Raymond Davis and described by the US State Department as an American civilian working for the US consulate in Lahore, was held at a police station on double murder charges over the deaths of two motorcyclists. A third Pakistani was crushed to death by a consulate car that went to help Davis following the shooting in a busy street in the eastern city on Thursday.
“The diplomat, assigned to the US embassy in Islamabad, has a US diplomatic passport and Pakistani visa valid until June 2012,” the statement said.
Recalling the events that led to Davis’s arrest, it said the diplomat acted in self-defense when confronted by two armed men on motorcycles. “The diplomat had every reason to believe that the armed men meant him bodily harm. Minutes earlier, the two men, who had criminal backgrounds, had robbed money and valuables at gunpoint from a Pakistani citizen in the same area.”
The embassy expressed regret that “this incident resulted in loss of life” and said it was “committed to working closely with the Pakistani government to secure the immediate release of the diplomat, as required under Pakistani and international law”.
The incident sparked several small protests across the country on Friday, a sign of the anti-American sentiment that is already running high partly because of a covert US drone campaign in the northwest tribal areas that has provoked deadly revenge attacks by militants.
The US, however, said Thursday it wanted to avoid any anti-American backlash in Pakistan, a vital ally in the US-led “war on terror” and said it would cooperate with the investigation. “We greatly value the cooperation and partnership between Pakistan and the United States, which is vital to the interests of both countries,” the embassy said in its statement.
On Friday, the US Ambassador Cameron Munter reportedly met Foreign Secretary Salman Basheer, requesting the federal government’s intervention in the case of the US official.
Speaking to the media yesterday (Friday), Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that Davis will not be given VIP protocol and will be sent to jail after interrogation. He said that no one was above the law and that the Punjab government was taking action under its legislation.
=============
US embassy demands immediate release of Davis
By AFP / Express
Published: January 29, 2011
US consulate employee Davis is escorted by police and officials after appearing before a judge in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The United States embassy in Islamabad on Saturday called for the immediate release of Raymond Davis, the US official who was arrested for gunning down two men in Lahore on Thursday.
The US embassy said the diplomat was unlawfully detained in Lahore.
“When detained, the US diplomat identified himself to police as a diplomat and repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the embassy said in a statement.
It added, “Local police and senior authorities failed to observe their legal obligation to verify his status with either the US consulate general in Lahore or the US embassy in Islamabad”.
“Furthermore, the diplomat was formally arrested and remanded into custody, which is a violation of international norms and the Vienna Convention, to which Pakistan is a signatory.”
The man, named as Raymond Davis and described by the US State Department as an American civilian working for the US consulate in Lahore, was held at a police station on double murder charges over the deaths of two motorcyclists. A third Pakistani was crushed to death by a consulate car that went to help Davis following the shooting in a busy street in the eastern city on Thursday.
“The diplomat, assigned to the US embassy in Islamabad, has a US diplomatic passport and Pakistani visa valid until June 2012,” the statement said.
Recalling the events that led to Davis’s arrest, it said the diplomat acted in self-defense when confronted by two armed men on motorcycles. “The diplomat had every reason to believe that the armed men meant him bodily harm. Minutes earlier, the two men, who had criminal backgrounds, had robbed money and valuables at gunpoint from a Pakistani citizen in the same area.”
The embassy expressed regret that “this incident resulted in loss of life” and said it was “committed to working closely with the Pakistani government to secure the immediate release of the diplomat, as required under Pakistani and international law”.
The incident sparked several small protests across the country on Friday, a sign of the anti-American sentiment that is already running high partly because of a covert US drone campaign in the northwest tribal areas that has provoked deadly revenge attacks by militants.
The US, however, said Thursday it wanted to avoid any anti-American backlash in Pakistan, a vital ally in the US-led “war on terror” and said it would cooperate with the investigation. “We greatly value the cooperation and partnership between Pakistan and the United States, which is vital to the interests of both countries,” the embassy said in its statement.
On Friday, the US Ambassador Cameron Munter reportedly met Foreign Secretary Salman Basheer, requesting the federal government’s intervention in the case of the US official.
Speaking to the media yesterday (Friday), Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that Davis will not be given VIP protocol and will be sent to jail after interrogation. He said that no one was above the law and that the Punjab government was taking action under its legislation.
===
US terms Davis remand illegal By Kamran Yousaf / Rana Yasif
Published: February 4, 2011
Policemen escort an armoured vehicle transporting US government employee, Raymond Davis, on his way for a hearing at the court in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: As a judicial magistrate extended the remand of a US citizen accused of a double murder in Lahore for another eight days on Thursday, the US Embassy has come out and termed the continued detention “illegal.”
The Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate (Cantt courts) Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, however, did grant bail to Raymond Davis on charges of carrying an illegal weapon against surety bonds of Rs100,000.
On the other hand, the US Embassy took offence to the proceedings. “This morning, the American diplomat was remanded in court without notice to the US government, without his lawyer present, and without translation assistance. He was denied due process and a fair hearing,” said a statement released by the US Embassy.
For Thursday’s hearing, DSP Old Anarkali Safdar Raza Kazmi produced the accused in handcuffs. Davis was brought in an armoured vehicle from the rear door of the court amid tight security. As a security precaution, Davis was produced before the court at 7.35 am, an hour and a half earlier than normal court timings.
Investigation Officer Inspector Munir Ahmed sought further remand of the accused on the plea that police still have to ascertain the facts of the case. He said that the police had recovered the weapon used in the incident, a 9mm pistol, from the accused. He said that Davis was not cooperating with investigators and refused to answer any questions.
Ahmed said that Davis is unwilling to speak about his accomplices whose vehicle had crushed a third person to death. “The arrest of other accomplices and recovery of the vehicle will only be possible on Davis’ pointation,” he said.
According to sources, Davis reiterated in court that he had killed the pillion-riders in self-defence and claimed he is entitled to diplomatic immunity.
The US Embassy also reiterated the same stance – in strong words. “The United States Government once again calls upon the Government of Pakistan to abide by its obligations under international and Pakistani law and immediately release the American diplomat illegally detained in Lahore. The US Embassy reiterated to the Government of Pakistan today that his continued detention is a gross violation of international law.”
In other courts
Meanwhile, the Judicial Activism Panel has filed a petition in a district and sessions court, challenging the hearing of Davis’ case being conducted before court timings and outside judicial limits under the pretext of a security risk.
Also, a writ petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC), seeking directions that the government prosecute Davis for allegedly committing forgery.
Petitioner Barrister Iqbal Jafree submitted that Davis had obtained a visa under a pseudonym, which made the whole process doubtful and his visa stood cancelled ab initio (from the beginning).
Yet another petition was filed in the LHC, challenging the alleged special treatment being given to Davis.
Petitioner Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry submitted that the authorities were treating the accused as a guest. He alleged that the police produced him an hour earlier than the scheduled time to cheat the bereaved families and their lawyers.
FO’s vague stance
“Let me briefly say that on the Lahore incident, I am not in a position to comment on any aspect,” FO spokesperson Abdul Basit said. “Neither do I have any information to share with you at this stage when the matter, as you all know, is sub judice before the court.”
Basit repeated these comments several times when reporters asked him questions on the issue during a news conference – which was then called off as journalists decided to boycott the proceedings over Basit’s vague comments.
With additional input from Rana Tanveer and NewsDesk
Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2011.
==
Qartaba Chowk shooting: Families say they have been offered Green Cards
By Rana Tanveer
Published: February 4, 2011
A man throwing a shoe at Raymond Davis’ picture during Thursday’s protest. PHOTO: ONLINE
LAHORE: The brother of one of the three men, two of whom were killed by US citizen Raymond Davis and the third crushed by a car driven by his colleagues, on Thursday said that the family had been offered Green Cards and money for withdrawing the case.
Waseem, brother of Muhammad Faheem who was gunned down by Davis told the participants of a protest rally that the family did not want cash or any ‘rewards’. “We will not accept anything like that. I am ready to give money to the Americans if they hand over Davis,”he said.
Dr Fozia Siddiqi, sister of Dr Aafia Siddiqi, also addressed the protesters via telephone. She expressed her solidarity with the bereaved families and asked that the entire nation to support them.
A group of about 500 people including students, lawyers, doctors, and civil society members walked from Qartaba Chowk (where the incident had occurred) to the US Consulate. Once the protesters reached the Consulate they staged a sit-in and shouted slogans demanding a trial of the accused in the country. They demanded the Pakistani government not to hand over Davis to the US government, while asking that he be hanged “for causing the death of three innocent citizens”.
Bothers of the other two victims, Rasheed Haider, brother of Faizan Haider and Muhammad Sajjadul Rehman, brother of Ibadul Rehman also addressed the participants of the rally. Sajjadul Rehman said that it was time to speak up against atrocities committed by the US.
He alleged that Davis had told investigators about his accomplices, “but the police have not made any arrests.” In a charged speech, he asked the US to let the Pakistani courts hold Davis’ trial. “Prove that you are the champion of human rights that you claim to be,” Rehman said while addressing the US.
Rasheed Haider requested the people to continue supporting them in their cause.
They said that they did not have any hopes from the government but were confident that the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) would ensure that justice is served.
All speakers, including family members of the deceased, also demanded CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice to ensure that the government does not “favour” the accused American. The protesters condemned the judicial magistrate’s court for granting bail to Davis for carrying illegal weapons.The rally was led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Lahore president, Mian Mahmoodul Rasheed.
Starting from Qartaba Chowk, the protesters reached the US Consulate after passing through Queen’s Road, The Mall, Race Course Road and Egerton Road. The participants shouted anti-US slogans through loud speakers installed on a mini truck. Announcements were also made to inviting passers-by to joint the rally, which were somewhat successful.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2011.
==
Raymond Davis case: Men killed in Lahore were intelligence operatives, says official
By Kamran Yousaf
Published: February 7, 2011
Pakistani police escort arrested US national Raymond Davis (C) to a court in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD: The government’s reluctance to free Raymond Davis is attributed to the fact that the two killed in the Lahore shooting were believed to be the intelligence operatives.
“Yes, they belonged to the security establishment….they found the activities of the American official detrimental to our national security,”disclosed a security official.
He requested not to be identified since he was not authorised to speak to the media on record.
The official confirmed that the president, the prime minister and the chief of army staff (COAS) had discussed the issue in a meeting last week. The three thought it was advisable to resist the US pressure on the Raymond Davis issue and believed the detained American national should not be released at this stage, he said.
He said the government’s tough stance on the controversy was also its reaction to the attempts by certain elements in Washington to implicate the country’s top spy agency, the ISI, in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“The government is very angry with the decision of an American court to summon top ISI officials in connections with the Mumbai attacks,” the official maintained.
The military spokesman was not available for comments.
The officials in the Foreign Office also confirmed the government’s position on the Raymond Davis issue but said he would eventually be released once the firm assurance from the US that such incidents would not recur.
The government was also contemplating to ask the American government to waive off Raymond’s immunity and try him in the US courts, the officials added. A US Embassy official said his government had “no plans yet to agree on such a step”.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2011.
====
US official's fate may threaten US, Pakistan aid, ties-diplomat08 Feb 2011
Source: reuters // Reuters
Feb 8 (Reuters) - * U.S. official's fate latest test of U.S.-Pakistan ties
* Pakistanis demanding he not be sent home
By Missy Ryan
KABUL, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Pakistan is working feverishly to defray tensions over the fate of a U.S. official who killed two men in Pakistan in a case that threatens billions of dollars in U.S. aid and could further damage an already strained alliance, a Pakistani diplomatic source said.
The diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Pakistani officials in Washington are talking to officials from across the U.S. government in a bid to avoid a serious rupture, but said that American government had put at least some bilateral engagements on hold over the issue.
"This is going to be a big issue and the American side is taking it very seriously," the source said. "The message from Washington to our government is very strong. We all need to do something about it or it will affect our relationship very badly."
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
For more stories on Afghanistan, click on )
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Obama administration's demands that U.S. consulate employee Raymond Davis, who is being held in Pakistan after shooting two Pakistanis in what he said was a robbery last month, be released is the latest thorn in the fraught relationship.
Washington and Islamabad are supposed to be working in concert to stamp out militant groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but ties are increasingly strained over U.S. complaints Pakistan is only selectively disrupting extremist activity that has killed U.S. and other NATO soldiers across the border.
The United States has said Davis is protected by diplomatic immunity but a court in the Pakistani city of Lahore barred the government from handing Davis over and said it would decide whether or not he could be tried.
The Pakistan diplomatic source said all sort of interactions could be affected, including U.S. assistance to Pakistan, one of the largest non-NATO recipients of American military aid.
"They tell us they'll interact with us once this issue is resolved," the source said. The controversy could even effect a $7.5-billion, five-year civilian aid package or official visits or meetings between the sometimes friends, sometimes foes.
'MUST BE RESOLVED'
But State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley pointed to several recent interactions in which U.S. officials stressed their interest in Davis' fate, including a conversation on Monday between U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, and another last week between Zardari and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"So we continue to have contacts with our Pakistani counterparts ... The Obama administration as well as members of Congress have repeatedly made clear at the highest levels that this matter must be resolved by the Pakistani government or it could impact other bilateral initiatives,"Crowley said.
If Davis were tried in a Pakistani court it would mark a worrying precedent for the U.S. government.
The case has made ripples in Pakistan, where supporters of the slain men and a third apparently killed by a U.S. vehicle after the shooting have held protests and burned U.S. flags, reflecting widespread anti-American sentiment in a country that Washington had hoped will become a bulwark against radical Islam.
On Sunday night, the widow of Mohammad Fahim, one of the men shot dead by Raymond Davis in Lahore, committed suicide by swallowing poison. She said she wanted "blood for blood" and that she believed that Davis would be freed without trial.
The Zardari government, weakened by political maneuvering, Islamist violence at home and a fragile economy, is keen to preserve the relationship but neither can it ignore the pressure at home not to be seen caving in to foreign powers.
Pakistani officials in Washington are reminding U.S. officials of this fact.
"We have political compulsions as well,"the Pakistani source said. (Additional reporting by Christopher Allbritton in Islamabad and Andrew Quinn and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Editing by Paul Tait and Miral Fahmy) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)
===
US ratchets up pressure for Davis’ release By Kamran Yousaf / Sumera Khan
Published: February 8, 2011
Several Pakistan-US bilateral engagements put off; Munter meets Zardari to convey Clinton’s message.
ISLAMABAD: The United States has put on hold several bilateral engagements with Pakistan in the latest move to pressure Islamabad to release its citizen Raymond Davis, who is facing charges for killing two Pakistanis in Lahore last month.
The incident has strained relations between the two countries, as the US postponed bilateral visits, including a scheduled trip by its Deputy Secretary of Treasury Neal Wolin to Pakistan.
“The visit of the US deputy secretary of treasury has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances,”said a Foreign Office official quoting diplomatic correspondence from Washington.
The official, requesting not to be identified, said the visit was delayed due to the ‘standoff’ between the two countries on the Davis issue.
“US officials are not ready to discuss anything other than the American national’s release at this stage,” he added.
When approached, the US embassy spokesperson promised to get back on the development but she never did.
Sources in the Foreign Office say several other visits by US congressional delegations are also in jeopardy due to the standoff between the two countries over the Lahore shooting.
The sources say that the Obama administration has even indicated that it may delay the forthcoming trilateral meeting among Pakistan, the US and Afghanistan in Washington later this month to discuss the Afghan endgame and the way forward.
There are reports that Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington Hussain Haqqani has been called to the US State Department twice last week to convey to him the possible consequences of non-obligation of international laws by Islamabad on the Davis controversy.
The sources say that the US has limited its contacts with the Pakistani mission in Washington.
On the other hand, the government is still tight-lipped on the issue. “I am sorry, I don’t have anything to share with you on the Lahore shooting incident,” said presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar. He, nevertheless, tried to downplay the matter, saying the issue will be resolved.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador Cameron Munter called on President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad on Monday evening to convey a message from Secretary Clinton to immediately release Davis.
The message says Pakistan should respect the international laws and keep in mind that Davis has diplomatic immunity as he is a member of the administrative and technical staff of the mission, according to sources.
“Though we regret the loss of lives in the tragic incident, we believe our citizen cannot be tried in Pakistan for any criminal offence,” the message adds. “The US has no intention of waiving off the immunity that gives cover to Davis.”
Ambassador Munter is said to have refused to give an assurance to President Zardari on trying Davis in a US court.
The president told the ambassador about the public pressure on the issue, citing street protests and the suicide of Shumaila, widow of Faheem, one of the two men killed in the Lahore shooting.
The president denied any pressure from the military or involvement of the intelligence agencies in the case. But he said Davis’ movements and his activities and the material recovered from him provide enough room to investigate the case and question him.
A press release from the presidential spokesperson says that “Pakistan-US bilateral relations were discussed in the meeting.”
Ambassador Munter also had meetings at the Foreign Office where he expressed his country’s concern over the prosecution of Davis in Pakistani court. The Foreign Office spokesperson refused to comment on the case and especially on the possible action to be taken on the status to Davis.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2011.
===
US calls death of Faheem’s widow ‘tragedy’By AFP
Published: February 8, 2011
Philip Crowley says the US continues to make clear to Pakistan that Davis has diplomatic immunity.
WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday called the suicide of the widower of Muhammad Faheem shot by US citizen Raymond Davis “a tragedy” but renewed calls on the country to free the American. Shumaila, the wife of Faheem, took poisonous pills and died on Sunday in a hospital, doctors and police said.
“We are aware of this and it is clearly a tragedy for that family,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters in Washington. But he added: “We continue to make clear to the government of Pakistan that our diplomat has diplomatic immunity; in our view, was acting in self-defence and should be released.” Crowley said the United States raised its concerns at high levels, including during a meeting Monday between President Asif Ali Zardari and US Ambassador Cameron Munter. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also brought up the case during a weekend meeting with General Ashfaq Kayani, the head of Pakistan’s powerful army, at a conference in Munich, Crowley said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2011.
===
Davis may also face espionage charge
By Qaiser Butt
Published: February 9, 2011
Pakistani police escort arrested US national Raymond Davis (C) to a court in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD: In an interesting twist to the Lahore double murder involving a US ‘diplomatic official’, prosecutors have recommended that an espionage case be also registered against him, sources said on Tuesday.
Raymond Davis is already facing charges for killing two Pakistani motorcyclists in a busy marketplace of Lahore on January 27.
“Keeping in view the nature of the case it is strongly recommended that a case of espionage be registered against Davis,” the prosecution branch of the Punjab police has written in an official letter to the investigation branch.
“During the course of investigation, police retrieved photographs of some sensitive areas and defence installations from Davis’ camera,” a source told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity. “Photos of the strategic Balahisar Fort, the headquarters of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Peshawar and of Pakistan Army’s bunkers on the Eastern border with India were found in the camera,” the source added.
The police had recovered a digital camera, a Glock pistol and a phone tracker along with a charger from Davis after his arrest. The Punjab government considers Davis a security risk after the recovery of the photos of sensitive installations, said the source.
The Obama administration has been pressuring Pakistan to release Davis who, according to it, “is a member of the administrative and technical staff of the mission” and therefore enjoys diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention.
“But Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has told American diplomats that the matter is sub judice and only the Lahore High Court (LHC) would decide whether or not Davis was entitled to diplomatic immunity,” an official source told The Express Tribune.
Sharif made the statement at a recent meeting with the US diplomats who sought Davis’ immediate release.
Citing a letter written by Interior Minister Rehman Malik to the Punjab government, the diplomats said that Davis had diplomatic immunity.
Sharif, however, denied his government had received any letter from the interior minister, according to the sources. Sharif advised the diplomats to wait for the LHC ruling on the diplomatic status of Davis.
A security official told The Express Tribune that Davis’ name did not figure on a list of US diplomats presented by the American embassy to the ministry of foreign affairs on Jan 25. But interestingly, his name figured prominently on another list submitted by the embassy to the ministry on Jan 28.
Diplomatic source told The Express Tribune that the foreign ministry’s viewpoint would be presented before the LHC whenever asked by the court.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2011.
===========
No judicial inquiry after Shumaila Faheem's suicide No judicial inquiry after Shumaila Faheem's suicide No Judicial inquiry has yet started after Shumaila Faheem committed suicide after her husband was murdered by Raymond Davis. Despite announcing that an inquiry will be started no action has been taken even after three days by any concerned authority.
The provincial and the federal government announced that a judicial inquiry will take place after Faheem s wife Shumaila Committed suicide. Faheem was killed by Raymond Davis and as a protest for not convicting Raymond Davis for murder of her husband. It has been three days since the government made these claims but no authority has taken any action.
DCO Faisalabad Naseem Sadiq said that the police have sent blood and other body samples to Lahore for the postpartum report but they have not received them yet. The judicial inquiry can only start once the medical report has been field.
On the other hand the police too have not yet started an investigation on the suicide of Shumaila. The police have not contacted or taken any statement from the family members. the police have disposed off the case declaring it an accidental incident in the Ghumra Police Station. According to the family members of Shumaila, no government official has come for consolation.
===
Lahore Shooting: US consulate refuses to hand over accused
Published: February 9, 2011
Policemen stand next to a car, which police said a U.S consulate employee was travelling in when he was engaged in a shoot-out, after it was brought to a police station in Lahore. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
The US consulate refused to hand over the remaining accused in the Lahore shooting incident to the Punjab Government on Wednesday.
The Punjab government had barred three more Americans from travelling outside Pakistan on February 7 owing to their involvement in the Lahore shootings. They are accused of running their vehicle over a motorcyclist while trying to rescue Raymond Davis, a detained US citizen, who was involved in a shootout that killed two other men.
====
By AFP / Express
Published: February 11, 2011
Police escort an armoured vehicle carrying Raymond Davis, as it arrives at court in Lahore on February 11, 2011. PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE: Police on Friday rejected the self-defence claim made by Raymond Davis who shot two men in broad daylight in Lahore late last month, saying it was a clear case of murder.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Aslam Tareen said that eyewitness accounts and forensic reports have shown that Davis did not shoot the men in self-defence.
“His plea has been rejected by police investigators,” he said. “He gave no chance to them to survive. That is why we consider it was not self-defence. We have proof it was not self-defence. It was clear murder.”
“It was cold-blooded murder. Eye witnesses have told police that he directly shot at them and he kept shooting even when one was running away. It was an intentional murder,” Tareen reiterated.
He said no finger prints had been found on the triggers of the pistols found on the bodies of the two men and that tests showed the bullets remained in the magazine of their gun, and not the chamber.
The CCPO said that the investigation team had recovered a GPS tracker, mobile phones, wireless sets, a survival kit and photographs from Davis’s car. He said that Davis had kept quiet throughout the investigation.
He said that an incomplete chargesheet under Section 302 had been submitted.
Speaking on the suspects whose car had struck Ebadur Rehman, Tareen said that details were missing and the suspects had still not been handed over to the police. He said that the Punjab government had written to the Federal Government regarding the case and had also sent a fifth reminder.
Earlier, a lower court in Lahore had sent Davis to jail on a 14-day judicial remand, after investigation into the shootings of the two men had been complete.
“He has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. The next hearing will be on February 25,” Punjab government prosecutor Abdul Samad told reporters.
“He is being sent to central jail Kot Lakhpat,” said police official Suhail Sukhera in reference to the high-security prison in the eastern city of Lahore, where the US official confessed to shooting two men in self-defence last month.
Background
Davis was arrested on January 27 after shooting dead two Pakistanis in Lahore in what Davis says was an act of self-defence during an attempted robbery.
Davis told the court on Friday that he opened fire on two motorcyclists in self-defence, fearing that they were about to rob him. The two men later died in the hospital.
A third Pakistani was run down and killed when US personnel in an consulate SUV apparently tried to rescue Davis, police said.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that the consulate had been asked by the Punjab government to hand over the vehicle and the driver responsible for motorcyclist Ibadur Rehman’s death minutes after Davis had shot dead two people on January 27.
This is the second time that the US consulate has refused the provincial government’s demand, Express 24/7 reported.
An official from the federal interior ministry, through the Foreign Office, has also written to the US consulate asking for the three accused to be handed over to the Punjab police.
US lawmakers also threatened Pakistani leaders on Tuesday of cutting aid to the country if Davis is not released. They claimed that Davis was on a diplomatic mission and should be provided diplomatic immunity.
For more on this issue follow: raymonddavis Comments (8)
Related Stories
Lahore shooting: Three more Americans barred from fleeing Pakistan
Raymond Davis case: Men killed in Lahore were intelligence operatives, says official
US Consulate denies knowledge of SUV in Lahore shooting
Lahore double murder: Zardari rejects US plea to set official free
===
Last Updated On 09 February,2011 About 11 hours ago
Dunya News receives pictures taken from Raymond’s camera
Dunya News receives pictures taken from Raymond’s camera Dunya News has received pictures taken from the camera of Raymond Davis after the murder of two citizens in Lahore. Dunya News has also received the footage of the investigation made on the basis of these pictures.
These pictures have exposed the real face of Raymond Davis. It seems that Raymond was not a diplomat, instead he was a spy. Pictures of sensitive areas of Lahore were also captured by Raymond from his camera. Pictures of former Army Fort at Waris Road, Badian Border and Wahgah Border area were also saved in his camera. Raymond also captured pictures of Pak Army installations at BRB canal which proves that Raymond was a spy. Besides, Dunya News has received footage of the investigation of Davis in which he declined to answer different questions asked by the police.
===
Davis safe from prosecution: Wahab
By Hafeez Tunio
Published: February 15, 2011
The PPP spokeswoman said the government has to handle the case with care.
KARACHI:
Raymond Davis, who is accused of killing two Pakistani citizens in Lahore, is covered by immunity and cannot be kept in confinement, Information Secretary of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Fauzia Wahab said on Monday.
Talking to media persons during her visit to the Karachi Press Club, she said: “Not just diplomats, but technical staff of consulates also enjoy immunity under the Vienna Convention.”
Wahab reminded reporters of the precarious situation developing after the incident and the chill in relations between Pakistan and the United States and said that the former could not afford any further trouble. She said that the government was handling the matter very carefully.
Wahab said that the US was the largest market for Pakistani products, adding that the country earned more than $4 billion annually from trade with it. “More than a million Pakistanis are living in US, send remittances, which supports our economy. But unfortunately, we are talking against the (same) country and its people without any logic. We should respect and abide by national and international laws,” she said.
Referring to various clauses of Pakistan’s Constitution, she said that the Pakistan Law Digest “contains (several) judgments of the Supreme Court and high courts also provide diplomats immunity under articles 29 and 37 clause-A”. She also refuted reports that David did not possess a diplomatic visa. “The case is now in courts. Let our independent judiciary decide on it,” she said. Commenting on Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s recent statements, PPP spokesperson said he had violated party discipline and the portfolio of foreign ministry would soon be given to some other party leader. “Qureshi should abide by party policy and stop making allegations.”
Meanwhile, terming Fauzia Wahab’s statement “personal”, the president’s spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar said: “The party’s position on the issue is unambiguous. The issue is before the court. It is imprudent to comment on it before court’s verdict.” He said that Wahab’s statement was neither party policy nor government policy. “She herself has clarified that it is her personal opinion,” he added.
Munter meets Salman Bashir
US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter met Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir on Monday and repeated the demand for the release of Raymond Davis. According to a TV channel, Munter said Davis enjoyed full diplomatic immunity and hence he should be freed.
Sources said that Foreign Secretary Bashir insisted that it was a sub judice matter, and the judicial procedure should be respected.
He clarified that only the court will decide about Davis. Meanwhile the US Embassy spokesperson has expressed the hope that the Davis issue will be solved soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2011.
============
Confused status
By Editorial
Published: February 15, 2011
PPP spokeswoman Fauzia Wahab recently said that Raymond Davis enjoys diplomatic immunity. PHOTO: FILE/APP The confusion over the Raymond Davis affair continues. The divergent statements coming from various PPP members add to this — especially when combined with the fact that the matter is before a court. It has also, apparently, cost former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi his job. The lack of agreement over whether or not Davis has diplomatic immunity and whether all the technical requirements in this respect had been fulfilled, has lingered on since the consulate employee shot dead two young men in the crowded Mozang area of Lahore late last month. PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab’s most recent statement — maintaining that Davis is indeed protected by immunity and cannot be prosecuted — simply adds to the chaos. The law minister immediately said that Ms Wahab was making a ‘personal’ comment and the courts would decide the matter, while the same line has been taken by the Foreign Office in talks with the US ambassador in Islamabad.
Some two weeks after the incident, we still do not know exactly who Raymond Davis is; neither do we know exactly what happened at Mozang and, of course, we can only guess what will happen in the future. Ms Wahab’s comments, however, imply that her party may be considering giving in to mounting US pressure, even if this comes at the cost of our sovereignty. Islamabad has, after all, lost large portions of this already — as a result of drone attacks and other acts that assert Washington’s supremacy over us. The fact is that Mr Davis shot dead two people in broad daylight. It is odd we still know only little about who these men were and why they were carrying a gun. The third victim, run over by a consulate vehicle, appears to have been forgotten almost entirely.
The rule of law needs to be adhered to in the Davis case. But the mysteries that surround the affair need also to be solved. They go well beyond the issue of diplomatic immunity and raise key questions about what exactly is happening on our soil and for what reasons.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2011.
====
Taliban warns Pakistan against releasing Raymond Davis
By Reuters
Published: February 15, 2011
A file picture dated 4 October 2009 shows chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Hakimullah Mehsud (C) sitting with Taliban Spokesman Azam Tariq (R). PHOTO: EPA
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Taliban warned the government on Tuesday it would punish any move to release a US consulate employee accused of murdering two Pakistanis in a case that has inflamed already strained ties with Washington.
“If (Pakistani) rulers hand him over to America then we will target these rulers. If Pakistani courts cannot punish Davis then they should hand him over to us,” said Azam Tariq, spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Taliban movement of Pakistan).
“We will give exemplary punishment to the killer Davis.”
The warning from the al-Qaeda linked Taliban, which has kept up suicide bombings to destabilise Pakistan’s government despite several army offensives, underscores the charged atmosphere surrounding Davis’ case.
US Senator John Kerry was due in Pakistan as part of the Obama administration’s efforts to resolve the crisis.
Raymond Davis, the US consular employee jailed in Lahore for shooting two Pakistanis last month, says he acted in self-defence during an armed robbery.
Washington insists Davis has diplomatic immunity and should be released but the Pakistani government, fearful of a backlash from Pakistanis already wary of the United States and enraged by the shooting, says the matter should be decided in court.
On Thursday, the United States is expected to present a petition to a Lahore court to certify that Davis has diplomatic immunity and should be released.
Religious parties don’t win many votes in elections. But the government can’t afford to ignore the groups who often seize on issues concerning the United States to promote their cause.
“Of course he (Davis) should not be released. He has committed a crime and he should be punished. He doesn’t have immunity,” said Yahya Mujhaid, a spokesman for Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which was blacklisted by the UN over its links to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group blamed for the 2008 attack on Mumbai. It denies it has links to the LeT.
“If he is released, we will register our protest but in a peaceful way. We will hold rallies … Not only us, the whole of Pakistan will protest against any such move.”
Supporters of the slain men have held protests and burned US flags. In addition to the two men Davis shot, a third man was killed when a U.S. consulate vehicle, apparently trying to rescue Davis, struck and killed a passer-by.
=====
US insists Davis case has not harmed Pakistan ties
By AFP
Published: February 17, 2011
Crowley denies Davis case was reason for postponement of trilateral talks between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US.
WASHINGTON: The United States said Wednesday that a row over the incident in which Raymond Davis, a US official killed two Pakistani men, has not harmed ties between the two allies engaged in the fight against extremism.
“We are committed to build a strong and effective partnership with Pakistan. And we certainly do not want to have issues like this (shooting) distract from our… joint efforts,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters.
Asked if the incident – the killing of two Pakistanis by Raymond Davis, an American embassy official – had proved such a distraction, he replied: “Not so far.” When pressed whether it has disrupted ties, Crowley replied: “I can’t say it has.”
Crowley also said that annual trilateral talks involving senior officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States and scheduled in Washington for February 23-24 were postponed for “practical” reasons.
“Pakistan dissolved its government, and it has not… repositioned ministers in every ministry that would expect to participate in a trilateral meeting. So we’ve postponed it for that reason,” Crowley said.
The comments were the latest amid a bitter row over Raymond Davis, a US diplomat who shot the two men in a busy Lahore street on January 27. Washington has argued that Davis, who claims to have fired in self-defense, should be released under diplomatic immunity.
Last week, Crowley did not rule out that the trilateral talks could be affected when reporters pressed him about potential fallout from the shooting incident.
“We want to have a productive meeting. And if there’s a reason why we don’t think the meeting will be productive, we’re prepared to make adjustments,” Crowley told reporters. “But if we do make those decisions, we’ll let you know,” he added.
US Senator John Kerry voiced regret for the killings of two Pakistanis by an American embassy official as he visited the city of Lahore. Kerry reiterated Washington’s stance that the man should be freed under diplomatic immunity and told reporters in Lahore Tuesday that the United States would conduct its own investigation into the killings. Crowley said that President Barack Obama’s administration did not dispatch Kerry to Pakistan. “No. He is there in his capacity as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Obviously he coordinated with us before he left, and he has maintained contact with us throughout his trip,” Crowley said.
====
Raymond Davis case: Court adjourned till March 14
By AFP / Express
Published: February 17, 2011
Raymond Davis's name has been put on the Exit Control List. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
LAHORE: The Chief Justice (CJ) of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Thursday said that Raymond Davis should not be allowed to leave the country before adjourning the case till March 14, 2011.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Attorney General said that Davis’s name has been put on the Exit Control List (ECL).
When the LHC asked the foreign ministry about the diplomatic status of the accused, the ministry sought three weeks to submit its reply.
According to Express 24/7 correspondent Shiraz Hasnat, over a dozen petitions had been filed regarding Davis’s immunity, which were heard by a single bench of the LHC.
“The actions of Raymond Davis are not covered by blanket immunity because he has committed a heinous crime,” one of the lawyers, Mohammad Azhar Siddique, told AFP.
Davis insists he acted in self-defence when he shot dead the two men in Lahore. A third man had also died when struck by a US diplomatic vehicle that came to Davis’ assistance.
The government has largely remained quiet in public since the incident that triggered a major diplomatic row, but American officials have insisted Davis must be immediately released under international law.
Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said Davis does not have full diplomatic status, while the ministry in a statement Wednesday dismissed media speculation that it had already confirmed the US man’s right to immunity.Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the courts must decide Davis’ fate.
But the prime minister has also suggested that relatives of the two Pakistani men shot dead might pardon the American, following a high-profile visit to the country by US Senator John Kerry aimed at resolving the row.
Kerry, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and arrived in Lahore on Tuesday, voiced deep regret over the killings.
============
1 comment:
Such kind of incidents are becoming common in Pakistan. First Black Water individual were roaming in Pakistani streets carrying illegal weapons, drone attacks are killing innocent Pakistanis in Waziristan and now US consulate employees are killing innocent pedestrians as self defense.
Post a Comment