The shoot out incident which took place in busy streets of Lahore on Thursday 27 January has taken a lot of twists and turns. Raymond Alan Davis a US national killed two Pakistani citizens at crowded Mazang chowk in Lahore.
Raymond Davis claims that the two men were robbers and he killed them in self defence. Davis claims that he is a US consulate employee and has a diplomatic visa. However none of the claims have been proven true.
The two men Faizan, 20 and Faheem, 22 who died on the spot were not robbers as no criminal record has been found about them. After the autopsy reports it was confirmed that the two men were shot from the back. Witnesses on the spot also confirm that there was no exchange of fire and Davis also took pictures at the scene after killing the two men. The weapon recovered from Davis has no legal permit and the bullets used are also banned in many countries.
First of all a diplomat cannot roam around unescorted with illegal weapons and a forged car number plate. Secondly government has not found Raymond Davis on its registered list of the diplomats and officials.
US is demanding release of Raymond Davis and insisting that he is a employee of the US embassy and thus under the Vienna convention (on diplomatic relations) request immunity for him. Raymond Davis in under police custody and government has refused to hand him over to the US until the investigation is complete.
Many speculations are coming out about Raymond Davis’s identity. According to reports Davis is a permanent employee at a company Hyperion Protective Consultants based in Orlando, Florida. Many analysts in Pakistan speculate that Davis is a CIA operative; others say he is working for blackwater as a secret agent.
The Lahore high court has ordered government not to release Raymond Davis and place his name in the exit control list for preventing him to leave the country.
LHC stands by the decision that Raymond Davis is accused of double murder charge and will not be moved from Pakistan until the prosecution is complete.
Lahore chief justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry stated that: I am restraining him. Whether has has or does not have immunity will be decided by the court.
Whether Davis was a diplomat or not he should be prosecuted under the law as everyone is equal in the eyes of law and should not be given any kind of leniency.
Analysts also suggest that this incident will further stimulate the anti US sentiment in Pakistan.
Speculations and concerns are coming out over increased number of visa given to US nationals and presence of secret operatives of black water in Pakistan.
Many people have been protesting in many cities across Pakistan against the killing of two Pakistani men by a US national and demand that he should not be handed over to the US officials and should be prosecuted under the law of the state and punished for the murder.
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