Federal govt behind Davis deal: Punjab
29 March, 2011
LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday expressed complete ignorance about the whereabouts of the families of Faizan and Faheem, who were killed by US national Raymond Davis, and requested the Lahore High Court to ask the federal government, which had brokered the deal between the two parties, for the release of the killer.
The Punjab home secretary submitted this in a written reply before the court of Justice Ch Iftikhar Hussain in connection with the hearing of a habeas corpus petition for the recovery of Faizan’s and Faheem’s families.
An assistant advocate general, Wali Muhammad Khan, submitted the written reply, which maintained that the Punjab government had no information about the family members of Raymond’s victims. It said the passport of accused Raymond was still in the custody of the provincial government but it had played no role in sending him (Davis) abroad.
The Punjab government said all the information about Raymond Davis was lying with the federal government, therefore, the court should summon the interior secretary in this regard.
Petitioner’s counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique pointed out that Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, during a media talk, had said that the family members of both Qartaba Chowk victims were living in Rawalpindi. He requested the court to summon the law minister in order to get complete information about the missing family members. At this, Justice Hussain directed the assistant advocate general and investigating agencies to look into the matter in the light of the law minister’s statement.
Siddique said if footages of close circuit cameras at the Kot Lakhpat Jail and calls recorded on cell numbers of senior officials, including Rana Sanaís, was obtained, the situation would become clear. The court, however, issued a notice to the federal government and directed a deputy attorney general to ensure submission of reply from the interior ministry by the next date of hearing, the first of April.
The petitioner, Advocate Malik Munsif Awan, said both families had gone missing after the release of Davis in the double murder case. He apprehended that somebody had kidnapped them and kept them in illegal detention. He submitted that, according to the media, the families had a huge amount of Rs200 million as blood money with them and their lives could be in danger.
He said there were also apprehensions that they (families) were forced to accept the blood money for the release of Davis. He requested the court to summon the authorities concerned and direct them to recover the families and present them before the court.
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