Whatever the actual dynamics behind Raymond's release, all power players have suffered a loss of credibility in the eyes of the Pakistani public. More than ever before, the citizens are convinced that what they are told is a mere eyewash and that their fate is decided in secret meetings behind closed doors, the details of which are never disclosed. The mystery surrounding the release of Raymond Davis has thrown up questions regarding the role played by virtually every institution of the state in the sordid drama. Contrary to the popular perception that they were all involved in the shady operation to rescue the CIA operative, power players are pointing fingers at each other or telling us that no wrong was committed to produce the outcome desired by the American government. Meanwhile, no progress has been made to arrest the accomplices of Raymond, who crushed Ibaad-ur-Rehman to death and fled. It is clear as daylight that the hasty release of Raymond Davis involved miscarriage of justice. Legal experts have pointed out lacuna in how the law was applied and the way the case was conducted. Events surrounding the case make it even more suspect; the disappearance of each and every one of the legal heirs who are supposed to have accepted the blood money being the biggest question mark. Even if legal formalities were followed, justice was not seen to be done. Besides, it was not simply a murder case to be sorted out between the victims' families and the murderer. We were told that Raymond was a spy and shown evidence of his suspicious activities. Yet no case of espionage was registered against him. We know that the episode on Mozang Chungi in broad daylight had terrorised not only people in the vicinity, but also citizens all over the country. Yet he was not booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The federal government refused to clearly state that Raymond was not a diplomat, despite the revelations made by the former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told us that he knew the identities of Raymond's accomplices who had killed Ibaad-ur-Rehman, yet the names were not mentioned in the letter sent by his government to Islamabad for the recovery of the absconding American killers. There is no news of any development on that front. Yet those at the helm of affairs in Islamabad and Lahore would like us to believe that they are not certified American slaves. The PPP has found another reason to malign the judiciary and shift the entire blame on the judge who set Raymond free. And though there are serious question marks about the role of the court, it does not absolve the PPP of the games it played around the issue, especially the confusion it created around the issue of diplomatic immunity. The request for time to determine the status of Raymond in the Lahore High Court is widely viewed as a ploy to keep the case in limbo and provide time to other players so that they could facilitate the deal for Raymond's release. The PPP government in Islamabad is also mum on what it has done for the recovery of the killers of Ibaad-ur-Rehman. Has it even approached the US Embassy on that matter? The ruling political leadership, especially the PML-N, is trying to shift the blame on ISI and the army. While there are reasons to believe that the custodians of our security did play a leading role in the whole affair, obviously they could not have done it without the connivance of governments in Lahore and Islamabad. It is not hard to decipher how each player helped in achieving the desired outcome. The question is: If the governments did not agree with the plan of the security establishment, what did our political leadership do to rein it in? If the civilian governments are so helpless, should they not resign? Whatever the actual dynamics behind Raymond's release, all power players have suffered a loss of credibility in the eyes of the Pakistani public. More than ever before, the citizens are convinced that what they are told is a mere eyewash and that their fate is decided in secret meetings behind closed doors, the details of which are never disclosed. We are told that all those at the helm of affairs are concerned about our welfare and working for the country's progress, while the assurances and agreements they reach in private meetings with each other and with those they bow down to, have nothing to do with either. The people must suffer the consequences of the dangerous games these power players play. They must close their eyes and not see the gaping holes in their version of reality. Take the case of the much-touted redefinition of relationship between CIA and ISI that was supposed to have come about due to the 'happy ending' of the Raymond episode. An attempt was made to create the impression that while the security agencies might have agreed to swallow the bitter pill of letting the American killer spy go scot-free, they had managed to convince the US government to scale down its CIA operations in the country. Had such an understanding been reached in the first place? If so, what exactly were we supposed to get in return for releasing a double murderer and a dangerous spy involved in terrorist activities in the country? Drone attacks on peaceful jirgas? The entire spectrum of our civil and military leadership seems to be under an American spell. Are they really unaware of the way the United States and its CIA operate all over the world? If their conduct was honourable, would they be carrying on dangerous covert activities in Pakistan to begin with? And even if they promise to stop these activities when discovered, do we have any reason to believe that they would act accordingly? How do we know that the evil that the United States is upto in our country does not go beyond what we have discovered from Raymond? Is it not just the tip of a very deceptive and very dangerous iceberg? Unless this spell, which acts more like a curse for the nation, is broken, our leadership will continue to disappoint us. How much more does it take for the leadership to recognise that it is not a matter of removing irritants when it comes to our relationship with the United States? The American state is an expert at spinning fairy tales for public consumption, all the while covertly manufacturing horror stories for the people who have the misfortune of attracting the attention of the superpower bully. Our leadership must be able to see through the fairy tales in order to avert more horror stories in the future. It is important to recognise that the American government is not our friend but our enemy. The writer is a freelance columnist.