Davis’s release reply sought from federal, Punjab governments
Petition seeks explanation from Babar Awan, Shahbaz Sharif and others on involvement in Davis's release
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sought replies from the federal and provincial governments on a petition seeking an explanation from the Federal Law Minister, Babar Awan, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Yousaf Aujla and others for allegedly facilitating Raymond Davis’s release.
The petitioner, Advocate Javed Iqbal Jafree, said that the LHC had issued orders to put Davis’s name on the exit control list (ECL), which was also violated by the respondents. The petitioner requested the court to seek affidavits from the aforementioned officials as well as Federal Law Secretary Pir Masood Chishti and lawyers Zahid Hussain Bukhari and Raja Irshad if they had prior knowledge about the deal. Barrister Jaffree said that the LHC order of putting Davis’s name on the ECL was still in place. He said the government had not asked the LHC for its permission before making the release. The petitioner said that Davis was allowed to leave the country in violation of the court order. Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain adjourned further proceedings for March 31.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2011.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sought replies from the federal and provincial governments on a petition seeking an explanation from the Federal Law Minister, Babar Awan, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Yousaf Aujla and others for allegedly facilitating Raymond Davis’s release.
The petitioner, Advocate Javed Iqbal Jafree, said that the LHC had issued orders to put Davis’s name on the exit control list (ECL), which was also violated by the respondents. The petitioner requested the court to seek affidavits from the aforementioned officials as well as Federal Law Secretary Pir Masood Chishti and lawyers Zahid Hussain Bukhari and Raja Irshad if they had prior knowledge about the deal. Barrister Jaffree said that the LHC order of putting Davis’s name on the ECL was still in place. He said the government had not asked the LHC for its permission before making the release. The petitioner said that Davis was allowed to leave the country in violation of the court order. Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain adjourned further proceedings for March 31.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2011.