When all organs of the state lose their perpetual link with the citizens, then sovereignty and national interests can easily be compromised for the vested interests by the foreign or national elements. That Nation must be a deprived one and unfortunate, if all the people at the helm of affairs, at the state or government, won’t represent the legally justified, public aspirations.
Additional Session Judge Lahore court acquitted, the detained CIA agent, Remend Davis, who shot and killed two men, Faheem and Faizan, in Lahore on January 27 in what he said was a robbery attempt, of murder charges and released him on Wednesday after what some officials said was a deal that involved paying “blood money” to the victims’ families. While the third victim Obaid ur Rehman was totally ignored, even federal, provincial or security agencies failed to recover the vehicle , which crushed the motorcyclist to death, on the fateful day. First time, public come out against the ‘controversial decision’ of the lower court, after the much trumpeted campaign of ‘ independent Judiciary’. Coincidently, the day, when Remend Davis was released, was second anniversary, when Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary was restored after a Long March on 16th March 2009. Apparently Remend Davis’ release ends a weeks-long diplomatic confrontation that strained ties with Washington, which has leaned on Pakistan to crack down on militants who are making it hard for ‘trapped’ President Barack Obama to finally end the Afghan war. But the Public sentiments , at the surface, are inflamed and sudden surge, in already prevailing anti-USA feelings, is being observed in every city of Pakistan, personifying complete split between the views/opinion of state managers and the common citizens of Pakistan .
The way, which demonstrated an unprecedented haste ; how the incidents happened , leading to the release of Remend Davis by the lower court, posed multiple questions by the citizens, to the tycoons, sitting at the helm of all affairs, in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore. It is the first time in the history of Pakistan, that a criminal, who committed double murder in broad-day light, was acquitted by the court , even many legal formalities , in the general course of action, either fulfilled after his release or yet to be fulfilled. The lawyer of the victims was detained in the jail where the trial was being conducted. The Punjab Bar Council has decided to hold protest demonstration against the ‘ detention’ of the lawyer . After detention of the lawyer of the victims, Asad Manzoor, another lawyer Raja Irshad was ‘forcibly’ appeared on behalf of victims and pleaded the case, in front of the judge for securing ‘ release’ of Remend Davis. Raja Irshad , represents ISI , in the case of missing persons filed by Amina Janjua , whose husband was allegedly kidnapped by Pakistani intelligence agencies , few years back .
Talking to the media outside the Kot Lakhpat Jail, lawyer Asad alleged that the families of both victims were compelled to make a compromise and accept the Diyat amount. Their signatures were obtained on papers under coercion, he said. The security agencies had kept the families in detention since Tuesday night and he had no contact with them. He said as he reached the Kot Lakhpat Jail, he was stopped from entering the courtroom. “I was detained by Additional Superintendent Jail Ishtiaq Gil and not allowed to join the hearing. He kept me in illegal detention for four hours,” Asad added. He said he had asked the jail authorities to allow him to contact his clients but his request was declined by Superintendent Jail Mushtaq Awan. Asad further said even he was not permitted to leave the jail premises.
Reportedly, The Federal and provincial Ministries of law and Justice were hectically involved in pursuing, the members of bereaved families, in collaboration with Pakistan’s supreme intelligence agency ISI. The whole “legal drama’ was staged at the early hours in Kot Lakhpat jail where Judge Yusuf Aujla and the family members of the victims, eighteen in numbers, were called in the jail ; where allegedly Rana Sana Ullah , the provincial law minister , commanding the ‘low key, ‘Early Morning Jackal Operation’, as opposed to Brig Imtiaz and Maj aamir’s ‘Mid Night Jackal Operation’. Before the dawn prayers, the operation was completed , and families were kept in the ‘protective custody’, after declaring Remend Davis as free from all legal and ‘religious’ liabilities. Remend Davis was immediately taken out by a bullet proof car of US Consulate and sent to Islamabad by Motorway , where a special plane was waiting since last 24 hours, as US authorities already knew the ‘ release of Remend Davis’. Reportedly operation was directly handled by Capitol Hill.
Since then, all the 18 family members of victims were disappeared and reportedly they are taken to Dubai for onward journey to Washington DC for ‘better prosperous future’ . They were lured and forced to receive 200 Million Pak Rupees as ‘Blood Money’ according to Islamic Shariah Law , ‘Diyat’. The private TV Channels and independent analysts strongly criticized President Zardari , PM Gilliani, DG ISI and Chief Minister Punjab for collaborating with CIA to pave way a ‘safe exit’ of Remend Davis . The criticism intensified, when Remend was not challaned in the cases of willful spying against the national interests of Pakistan. Earlier, It was reported that security agencies recovered very sensitive spying equipment, sensitive documents and maps, tens of fake ID cards and certain proofs that he was directly or indirectly involved in bomb blasts in various cities of Pakistan .
Unfortunately, the Secret Act 1923, was not invoked against the apparently ‘ proved ‘ corroboratory evidences, meant for any court of law. “ I wanted to wear uniform while going for protest at Aabpara Islamabad, to mark my protest against the elements ( ISI) my ex department which cut the whole nation into a sorry figure”, Former ISI Chief , Lt General ( retd) Hamid Gul orchestrated at a private TV Channel. The analysts believe, that the credibility of country’s supreme Intelligence Agency , ISI is aversely shaken in the eyes of the nation . The protestors at various cities are categorically demanding, to expose the real nexus between CIA and ISI and their collaboration in curbing ‘ terrorism’ in the region, which had taken roots during the Afghan War when General Akhter Abdur Rehman and General Hameed Gul were blue-eyed of CIA . “ Why ISI is supporting CIA, for what? Don’t they know that CIA operatives are working against the national interests of Pakistan? They set free a “ terrorist, spy and saboteur”, Remend Davis, who was supposed to be trialed in a military court? , Imran Khan’s outburst , noted as vehement reaction of mostly Pakistanis.
The murky game between the ISI and the CIA is over and story of Remend Davis was surfaced in the media, a day before he was going to be produced for framing criminal charges in a ‘court’. The analysts believe that, the principal protagonist, CIA agent Raymond Davis, is not only the principal beneficiary, who got away with double murder, also his family, who now have their loved one back, with the‘ love’ of CIA, whose operative is now back in business. The release made US State Department , bit relieved, which had a big stake in the whole issue. While Pakistan’s Foreign Office which was in a fix being unable to tow a particular line on the issue of immunity. The intelligentsia believed that Senator John Kerry whose efforts bore fruit , benefited Lt General Shuja Pasha, the ISI chief for one year extension and probably immunity from appearing in an American court. The GHQ has masterly played to secure or to expedite US military assistance plus lots of bucks without any further delay.
The miserable Shumaila, wife of Faheem who committed suicide, stood no where , rather her mother was arrested , for staging protest demonstrations with her relatives , against the release of Remend Davis , in the city of Provincial Minister Rana Sana Ullah , who brokered the final deal in the jail . The public , which was expecting an honorable and fair decision from the court, has to face worst humiliation since the creation of Pakistan. Similar humiliation is observed from the faces of the media tycoons, which played in the hands of “powers that be” and knowingly or unknowingly created hype in the name of “national honor”. The nation failed to return to normalcy from sudden shock. The poor former Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Quresh, felt himself as ‘dwarf’ of Gulliver’s Travels, in front a CIA agent, even not a CIA officer. He is looking towards Aabpara Chowk (now becomes a protest place in Islamabad) rather than his own Government for a policy stand. Presently he stands nowhere, as he lost ‘credibility of loyalty’, in the eyes of all big wigs of PPPP.
USA responded the ‘ good will’ gesture of Pakistani court and security agencies, with four missile drone attacks on a peaceful gathering ‘ jirga’ in which more than 80 innocent tribesmen killed, near Miran Shah, even Remend Davis hardly reached his home to hug the loved-ones, in USA. General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiani, Pakistan's army chief strongly condemned U.S. drone attack maintained that "It is highly regrettable that a jirga (meeting) of peaceful citizens including elders of the area was carelessly and callously targeted with complete disregard to human life," said Kayani in a written statement. "In complete violation of human rights, such acts of violence take us away from our objective of elimination of terrorism." The analysts believe that it was not the first drone attack , in which innocent Pakistani killed , Kiani’s harsh reaction might be the outcome of public response towards Army and ISI , in the release of Remend Davis in collaboration with CIA.
The U.S. has repeatedly pressed Kayani to launch an offensive against militants in North Waziristan, but he has refused, saying his soldiers are stretched too thin by operations in other parts of the tribal region.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Friday(18 March) summoned the US ambassador Cameron Munter and lodged a strong protest over a drone strike in a tribal region Miran Shah. US Ambassador was told “that such strikes were not only unacceptable but also constituted a flagrant violation of humanitarian norms and law,” The subject attack was the most lethal drone strike to hit the lawless region of North Waziristan since August 2008 when the covert campaign escalated in the areas bordering Afghanistan, and the seventh such attack in nine days.
Former Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi maintained “ the time had come to expose the rotten eggs within the PPP, while speaking to ‘Meet The Press’(18 March) in Lahore, Qureshi called on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to take the people of Pakistan into confidence and tell them the truth about the Remend Davis case. He said that the PM should call a meeting of the parliamentary party of PPP and other coalition parties and keep all the facts before them. He said that this meeting should take place before the president’s address on March 22.
Qureshi said that after the release of Remend Davis, the US drone attack in North Waziristan was a gift to the Pakistani nation. He said that the manner in which the Davis case was resolved internationally gave the message that Pakistanis can be purchased at will. He said that the people of Pakistan want change in the manner in which national affairs are being run.
While, Thousands of people took to the streets across Pakistan on Friday to protest a US drone strike that killed 80 people this week and the release of a CIA contractor. Security was tightened and the US embassy in Islamabad and its consulates in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar were closed in anticipation of public anger, but fears of violence proved unfounded with fewer demonstrators than expected. Some 4,000 people rallied outside Islamabad’s Red Mosque against the release of Remend Davis.
The protesters chanted “Friends of the US are traitors”, “Down with America” and “Hang Zardari”, a reference to unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari who has called for ties with the United States to be maintained.
More than 1,500 people rallied in the eastern cultural hub of Lahore, including demonstrators from the religious Jamaat-e-Islami party and outlawed religious party Jamaat-ud-Dawa, and from the party headed by cricket hero turned politician Imran Khan. They burned US flags, chanting “Go America, go” and “Go Zardari, go,”.
The intelligentsia in Islamabad believed, that the Pakistani Nation, is shocked by the alleged conspiracy hatched by all the four organs of the state, placed them in a state of “Awe and Shock”, a strategy which was not succeeded in Iraq , in a true letter and spirit by USA, became successful in Pakistan, without any ‘military operation’ . The situation seemed to be very tense in Islamabad and rest of the country, as already deprived nation, compressed under new taxes by President Zardari and unprecedented price-hike. The opposition parties , especially Tehreek e Insaf and JI , which mustered enough support to fight in the streets, may pose serious threats to the existence of, becoming rapidly unpopular, both provincial and federal governments. Meanwhile, President Obama must realize this fact, that, the growing hatred in any country against USA may cause serious threat to the national security and integrity to his country, in the future.
