Raymond Davis case: Victim's family attacked

Unidentified people attempted to kill a family member of one of the victims of the Lahore shooting.

LAHORE: Unidentified people attempted to kill the uncle of Shumaila, the widow who poisoned herself after her husband Faheem was gunned down by US citizen Raymond Davis on Thursday.  Shumaila’s uncle Sarwar has been admitted to hospital in critical condition.

According to eye witnesses, three unidentified men jumped over the walls of Sarwar’s house and hit him on the head repeatedly with stones. They also forcefully made him eat pesticide pills.

Neighbours intervened after hearing the noise, but the assailants fled after assaulting the neighbours. Allied Hospital MS Dr Rana Bashir has confirmed that Sarwar’s stomach had been washed and he is now out of danger.

Sarwar’s brother told Express News that some people had threatened Sarwar to withdraw from the Raymond Davis case or they would kill him. He appealed to the Punjab chief minister to provide the family justice. RPO Aftab Cheema said action would be taken against the culprits after investigation.

Pressure on both sides

According to an earlier report in The Express Tribune, the families of the two people allegedly murdered by Raymond Davis are coming under pressure from politicians and religious groups not to strike any deals that would allow for Davis’ release.

Waseem Shamshad, elder brother of Faheem, one of the young men killed, told The Express Tribune that the families are coming under conflicting pressures. He claimed that on one hand the government is pressuring the victims’ families to withdraw the case against Davis, while several religious and political groups were pressuring them not to accept any deal that would allow Davis to walk free.