Davis victim’s family buy house in Toba

An uncle of the deceased says family is in hiding for security reasons.

TOBA TEK SINGH:

Rumours and speculation regarding an immigration deal struck between the family of Fahim, killed by CIA contractor Raymond Davis continue to emerge.

On Friday, Fahim’s family issued a statement through their uncle Abdul Khaliq regarding their whereabouts. “They have been receiving death threats and have been hiding. They came here a couple of days ago, escorted by police,” Khaliq said.

Fahim’s brother Waseem has reportedly purchased a house near his grandparent’s property in Toba Tek Singh’s tehsil Pir Mahal’s Chak 663 as well as a new car.

The family said that they feared for their lives after the blood money settlement and payment to them on Raymond Davis’s behalf.

Waseem’s grand parents and uncle Abdul Khaliq stated that police officials had now escorted the family to Lahore for production before a High Court judge hearing a petition agitating their disappearance and demanding their recovery.

“There were reports that they were off to US but none of that is true. They have been in hiding for security reasons,” Khaliq told the press.

The family are currently at their home town in Toba Tek Singh. “They are not in America or Saudi Arabia but in their hometown Toba Tek Singh,” he said.

Khaliq, however, would not say that the family had planned to settle down in the district. “They are considering moving here but no final decision has been made,” he said.

Neighbours said Fahim’s brother Akram and Wasim, as well as  their mother had met their grandfather recently and that there were reports they would soon be moving to the district for good.

“They have bought a large house here. Waseem has previously worked here as a clerk for lawyer Riaz Khan,” said a neighbour Salman Asif. Other residents in the area said that they expected the family to shift to the village as soon as they felt safe enough to do so.

Waseem’s relative Reham Din said that his father had also visited the village 10 days ago.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 03^rd, 2011