March 16 once again became a landmark day in the history of the country. Two years ago on this day the people of this country won when an independent judiciary under Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was restored. Two years later, a US spy and killer of two Pakistanis, who was being tried for murder, was freed in a most dubious manner. It seems everything was pre-planned. All the statements by politicians and security officials were perhaps for public consumption and, in actual fact, these politicians had assured the US that Davis would be freed at an appropriate time once the public agitation subsided.
Now, the only face-saving measure for the all those who were involved in this deal is that they should declare all such US ‘contract workers’ personas non grata and expel them from the country within 48 hours. The masses must be told the nitty-gritty of the deal under which Davis was not only released but was flown out of the country within a couple of hours.
Muhammad Azhar Khwaja
Lahore
*****
The fact of the matter is that Raymond Davis is a bona fide, if one may call him that, beneficiary of the dual legal system – the common law and the shariah law – which is fraught with discrepancies and legal contradictions. All the religious and semi-religious parties are up in arms against the court’s decision to release Raymond Davis. The wrath of the abovementioned elements is directed towards the federal and the Punjab government as well as the US for engineering Davis’ release. They conveniently forget the fact that Davis was provided the escape route via the Qisas and Diyat Law, implemented under an operative ordinance promulgated by Gen Ziaul Haq.
If the country had a single system of jurisprudence, Davis would still be in the Kot Lakhpat Jail, facing murder charges. However, the Qisas and Diyat mechanism transfers the right, either to punish or release the culprit, to the heirs of the deceased against receipt of compensation in the form of blood money. In this case, the court is practically bound to endorse the will and decision of the heirs.
M S Hasan
Karachi
*****
Why is the nation so taken aback by the release of Raymond Davis? It was anticipated. This is not the time to protest but to reflect why we are being exploited and who is exploiting us.
Brig (r) Asif Alvi
Karachi
*****
According to Raymond Davis’ wife, her husband acted in ‘self-defence’. So, Mrs Davis, if your husband was innocent, why was your government so anxious to get him out? First there was a whole drama regarding his diplomatic immunity, which he obviously didn’t have because he wasn’t a diplomat. Then, Shumaila, the widow of one of the two people killed by Davis, committed suicide
because she knew she wouldn’t get justice. And guess what? She didn’t.
Imaan Hazir
Islamabad
*****
If the families of the victims really agreed to accept blood money, they ought to be brought out into the open because it is being said that they were coerced to accept this deal.
This shows that we are a slave nation which knows nothing but kowtowing to the US.
Badarul Islam
Islamabad
****
Now we will witness strikes and demonstrations by angry mobs motivated by politicians who would like to cash in on this opportunity. The religious parties will further ignite the emotions of the people and put up a show using the same evil-America theme. But that’s something we have become familiar with. How much is paid matters more than who pays and who gets paid. The relatives of the deceased accepted the blood money and agreed to the deal. Even if they have done this under some kind of duress who are we to speculate until they themselves speak.
If we believe in the glory of our nation then we should also believe that in today’s world, in order to succeed economically, politically and militarily we have to rely on and borrow from the West. Take the example of China. The US bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the Kosovo conflict in 1999. Heavens did not fall. China moved ahead on the road of economic prosperity, became the biggest exporter to the US and generated enough cash to spend $40 billion just to organise Olympic Games in 2008. Raymond Davis is gone. There are many other pressing problems that need our attention. I hope we focus our attention on those problems and don’t waste time debating an issue which has been settled.
Lt-Col (r) Muhammad Ali Ehsan
Karachi
****
As always our leaders - political and military – bowed down to the US. But what is new is the way it has been done. The manner in which Raymond Davis was set free raised many questions in the people’s minds. How did a family, which had been resisting any deal for so long, agree to it all of a sudden? And where is the family now? What led the so-called awami party, the PML-N that is, to take such an unpopular stand? The PML-N had been continuously criticising the PPP for being America’s puppets, and what did it do itself?
The politicians must now get ready to bear the brunt of public reaction to this very mismanaged case.
Asiya Mahar
Islamabad
*****
The high-profile case which soured the relations between the US and Pakistan has been solved for the time being. We should content ourselves by thinking that a criminal who belonged to the US was charged and tried under the country’s law against the wishes of his government. However, Raymond’s hasty release and departure and the reports that the victims’ heirs were pressurised to accept blood money under a deal already struck between the two governments are the points of concern for the people of Pakistan.
Our government will have to make its position clear on these points. It must also be clarified why Mr Davis was not charged with espionage when gadgets used for the purpose were recovered from him.
Air-Cdre (r) Mohammad Yaqoob Khan
Rawalpindi
*****
The families of the murdered people accepted the blood money of $2.34 million (equal to Rs200 million) while, according to some media reports, four US work visas were also part of the deal.
The CIA spies now have the licence to kill Pakistani citizens and they can easily get away with it in exchange of money.
Sqn-Ldr (r) S Ausaf Husain
Karachi
*****
It seems in this case the whole nation is on one side while the army establishment, the government, the judiciary and the political parties are on the other.
Khalid Mustafa
Islamabad
*****
The Raymond Davis case ended as expected. The government made sure that it obeyed its masters. We sold ourselves once again. What is more distressing to know is that the blood money was most probably paid by our own government as Hillary Clinton said that the US did not pay anything.
Salman Babar
Lahore
*****
The PML-N breached the promise it had made to the masses and collaborated in the release of Raymond Davis. I was once a supporter of the PML-N but not anymore.
Nadia Naeem
Lahore
*****
Even if the families accepted the deal, the nature of this case was such that it affected the whole nation. Seemingly, the only outcome of this case is that the life of every Pakistani has a price tag attached to it!
Why blame others when we have such laws which are open to abuse by anyone with power and money.
Mobeen Imran Shah
Nottingham, UK
*****
I think the West should stop its propaganda against Islam as it is the Islamic law of diyat under which it became possible to set Raymond Davis free.
Barkatullah Marwat
Peshawar
*****
Raymond Davis’ acquittal proves one thing: there is always a price tag on a Pakistani’s life. It may be high for some and low for others, but in the end it all comes down to money. The Davis case was not just a murder case; it had turned into an issue which every Pakistani felt strongly about.
Eilaf Faizi
Karachi
*****
The curtain falls on the long-drawn-out drama. The result hasn’t come as a surprise to many in Pakistan. The whole exercise of upholding the law was just a facade to gain time before the government came up with some excuse to let the American go scot-free.
Tehmina Afridi
Abbottabad
*****
Raymond Davis is a free man. He had to be freed. After all, how else would our leaders get loans and aid to maintain their luxurious lifestyle?
Afnaan Qayyum
Rawalpindi
*****
I don’t understand why so much hue and cry is being raised if the victims’ families have decided to pardon the killer? Isn’t it true that our religion appreciates and encourages forgiveness?
Tamoor Azam Geleeto
Swat
*****
As expected from this puppet regime, it surrendered to its master’s demand. Public opinion and sentiments do not mean a thing to our rulers.
UK Dar
Manchester, UK
*****
We have a limping democracy with assemblies full of parliamentarians with fake degrees. They have been inflicted upon us by 43 percent bogus votes. These parliamentarians have been squandering our hard-earned money and surviving with the help of the US and they proved it yet again.
Dr Zarina Khan
Islamabad
*****
Raymond Davis is free because the families of the murdered youths forgave him. But wasn’t this the responsibility of the state to try him for various other charges? Why was he using a fake name? Why was he roaming freely with guns? And what about his alleged contacts with terrorist groups?
Muhammad Ahmad
Lahore