Pakistan

Court hearing: Davis remains defiant

Insists he enjoys diplomatic immunity, refuses to receive charge sheet.

Rana Yasif February 26, 2011

LAHORE:

Raymond Davis, the US national facing double murder charges, insisted he had diplomatic immunity and refused to receive a copy of the charge-sheet submitted in the court against him.

Additional District and Sessions judge Yousuf Aujla decided that charges will be framed against the accused on March 3. US diplomats, including Consul-General in Lahore Carmela Conroy, observed the court proceedings in Kot-Lakhpat jail.

When the judge asked Davis if he wanted to say something, he said he had got nothing to say except that he had “diplomatic immunity”. He also submitted an application regarding the immunity, contending that the court, which was going to conduct his trial, was not authorised to do so.

When the court heard this, they summoned the state counsel and asked Davis to make sure his lawyer attended the next hearing so that the matter of immunity could be debated.

A copy of the charge-sheet was given to Davis by the court officials, but he refused to accept an Urdu version, contending that he did not comprehend it. When a translation of the same document was given to him, he refused to receive it.

Deputy Prosecutor-General Abdul Samad appeared from the prosecution department while Asad Butt appeared on behalf of deceased Fahim, Faizan and Ibad.

The trial took place amid tight security. Heavy contingents of law-enforcement agencies cordoned off the jail premises within a 300-metre wide perimeter.

The court proceedings took place in jail on the request of the Punjab home department which cited security concerns.

Local and international media was kept at bay from the venue.

According to the charge-sheet handed over to Davis, he opened fire from inside his car at Fahim and Faizan and then, after coming out of his vehicle, shot Faizan twice in his back.

The charge-sheet said 30 witnesses recorded their statements.

Witnesses said the accused, after killing both pillion riders, took their pictures and called someone over a wireless set to get him.

The double murder trial is the first of two criminal cases in which Davis has been nominated.

On March 14, the Lahore High Court would decide the issue of Davis’ immunity.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2011.

COMMENTS (22)

Midnight Drummer | 13 years ago | Reply Here's what an expert who previously worked in a key State Department diplomatic affairs position said about the Obama administration's claim that Raymond Davis, the American currently imprisoned in Pakistan after killing two men, has diplomatic immunity... CIA man in Pakistan may not have immunity

rehan | 13 years ago | Reply @JAI. Jai Ho!!

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Khalid Rahim | 13 years ago | Reply While this debate is taking place in the court. Do we know the itinerary of President Zardari for the next three weeks. Whether he will be in the country to approve the reply by the government to the Lahore High Court about the immunity to Davis? Or he will leave this task to his coterie of faithfuls. To rescue Raymond Davis from the clutches of the court in Lahore the Obama administration has many options: 1) To enforce action through ICJ at The Hague provided the judges side with them. 2) To pay heavy graft to one or two judges on the bench and assure them free passage and residence in Las Vegas. 3) With 851 operatives create havoc between Islamabad and Multan and extract Davis out of Kot LakhPat to across the border and fly him to langley. 4) To hold Zardari in the same compound as Noriega in Florida when he flies to meet his advisors in Washington DC. If the Americans comply with the last proposal they can take Raymond Davis happily.

Moise | 13 years ago | Reply @Bangash: Militancy can be proved soon to be linked with US if the trial goes ahead. Why on earth US spies on its allies.

Ajay | 13 years ago | Reply very symmetrical picture and colorful! Somebody got the posters printed in different colors but with identical text and handed them out to rag tag people who had nothing better to do.

Mustafa | 13 years ago | Reply I don't really think it would be a piece of cake for US to break relations as Pak is supporting them in their war agaist Afghanistan through NATO supplies, so many things to really think of.

SA | 13 years ago | Reply @Jai: Thanks for the moral support; it really matters.

Hassan | 13 years ago | Reply Thank You JAI! Honesty is the best policy. Despite the differences b/w our countries you stepped out with courageous and righteous stance, it really is appreciatable. May Allah bless you. Best regards.

kumar | 13 years ago | Reply @Jai: Its not the U.S govt's fault for "saving" warren anderson. It is the indian govt's fault, he did not commit any offence in the eyes of U.S law. Indian govt let him go quickly. And in fact,U.S has honoured the diplomatic statuses.

Abdul-Mughis Rana | 13 years ago | Reply May ALLAH SWT help us all, Aameen! Three humans have been killed that too is not a simple case. Let's wait for Court's findings.

Jai | 13 years ago | Reply I'm Indian and i find it ridiculous that US says this man should be freed.. All employees of an Embassy do not have diplomatic immunity. It's only the official foreign diplomats that do. Also diplomatic immunity does not mean you have the license to kill. Davis was a bodyguard in the Embassy not a diplomat. Besides when has the US honoured the Vienna conventions? US has prosecuted and sentenced to prison foreign diplomats who did indeed have diplomatic immunity also. There was a case where they sentenced a foreign diplomat to prison for accidentally running over an American. He got prosecuted even for an accident and this US guy who is not even a diplomat shot people in the back and they want to get away with it. US is the biggest hypocrite. They think the lives of Americans are worth more than other people. They prosecuted BP for the oil spill for billions of dollars because it affected Americans and yet the American govt saves it's own Union Carbine owner Warren Anderson from any financial responsibility in India in the Bhopal Gas tragedy case where thousands of Indians have lost their lives. USA is the biggest scumbag, hypocrite, racist in the world. They say Hitler was a racist. Well the US govt is no different. We have our own problems with Pakistan and i hate the terrorism coming from there but one should always stand with the truth so on this issue i'm with Pakistan. Don't free him Pakistan. Our South Asian govt.s have become totally spineless bending over backwards to every demand just or unjust by the west.

Bangash | 13 years ago | Reply Its funny Pakistanis are impressed with politicians on Raymond Davis issue, while ignoring real issues of militancy, lack of vision and moribund economy that politicians are responsible for.

Ali Haider | 13 years ago | Reply The most powerful country in the world is ready to break relations with the most important country in the world in the war-on-terror, due to one citizen. Our leaders should learn a lesson from this. They do not deserve to lead us if they do not care about us.

Mulla Toofhan | 13 years ago | Reply Farathullah Babar is not helping the present Govt by airing his opinion while the case is in court The more the PPP talks the more they expose themselves as American puppets. Raymond Davis being aware of his American status is not cooperating with the authorities. The nature of the incident is serious enough for them to realize that this could have a serious outcome. I wonder if a Pakistani diplomat/spy caught in US under same circumstance would be treated differently.

Musthaq Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply @10th: It is bargaining all the way. You cannot remove dependence in a day.

Javed Iqbal | 13 years ago | Reply not the politicians but people of Pakistan forced politicians to take right steps

Tilsim | 13 years ago | Reply Yes, it's great to show the US that we are no pushover but that's it's only ok if there is something specific we are lawfully seeking and we can realistically obtain. What are these things that we want? I have not seen any concrete list. The wish list seems to range from chest thumping (which has no practical benefit and actually hurts us) to better respect for Pakistan's laws, interests and sovereignty (which has merit but only to the extent that we apply the same passion and effort against terrorists). I hope people will think through what Pakistan gains and loses out of this incident and why we don't apply the same national unity to fighting terror and extremism.

moise | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan economy cannot take burnt of US war going on in tribal regions. If they cancel our aid it is fine. We can recover from taxing their supply line to their occupied land of Afghanistan. If they can pay Halliburton 100$ for washing soldier's laundry every time they can pay for using the route. We have remittance of 6 billion, dont worry my brothers. Make sure covert operations are exposed. Remember our rizq comes from Allah and not from US.

moise | 13 years ago | Reply Nice choice of picture. Looks like they are asking for stoning him.

10th | 13 years ago | Reply Never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually proud of the politicians who've helped get this case this far. You would have expected Davis to have been freed after his blanket immunity was proved through forged papers, but it seems our leaders are determined to show USA we're no pushover.

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Every thing is open to the world, no need to more evidence, he confessed , so all the option support its crime committed in the broad daylight, he is liable to execution.

SA | 13 years ago | Reply Now THIS sounds good :)

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