No immunity for Davis: speakers

LAHORE - Speakers at a seminar on Monday said that Foreign Office had admitted that Raymond Davis didnt enjoy diplomatic immunity and let the court decide his fate for murdering two local citizens. Dr Farooq Hassan, expert of international law, Naveed Chaudhry, senior PPP leader, Naseer Bhutta, PML-N MNA, Maulana Ameer Hamza, senior leader Jamaatud Dawaa and Jehangir A Joja, eminent jurist expressed these views while addressing a seminar titled 'US pressure for Raymond Davis release and responsibilities of government held under the auspices of TheNation and Nawa-i-Waqt at Hameed Nizami Hall on Monday. They said that government had admitted that this was the 10th entry of Davis to Pakistan and he was arrested on several occasions, while all the holy books including Quran did not immune any murderer of his crime. They said that Davis case was the most important in the history of Pakistan and nobody should try to gain political mileage on this issue. They were of the view that it was the prerogative of the court to decide about the crime of Davis and he enjoys immunity or not. Dr Farooq addressing the seminar said that the security of the country was in danger till the real name of Davis would not be revealed, while this case would become a 'turning point in the history of Pakistan. He hailed the role of foreign office, which refused to declare diplomatic immunity to Davis by changing the record of US nationals visits to Pakistan. He said that former foreign minister had revealed that this was the 10th visit of Davis to Pakistan and he was first arrested in Lahore on 2009 and later he was detained from Peshawar, while Davis speaks Urdu language fluently. The authorities recovered the same phones in Peshawar from his possession, which were used for bomb blasts. He said that the US knew it very well that Davis didnt enjoys diplomatic immunity, while all diplomats were bound to follow the laws of the country in which they were stationed. International law doesnt apply in Pakistan, as we have our own laws. Dr Farooq observed that Davis had some vital information with him and that was the reason the US wanted his release. Naveed Chaudhry said that some people were trying to gain political mileage by targeting the president by quoting the statements of Shah Mehmood Qureshi regarding Davis. He said that the federal government hade decided that it would accept the courts decision regarding Davis. He said that democracy did not succumb to any pressure, however a military dictator surrenders everything on a single call. Maulana Ameer Hamza said that the arrest of the Davis had established the fact that no person with beard was responsible for terrorism in the country and the US was behind all such gruesome activities. He said that Blackwater was responsible for carrying out terror acts in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber-PK. Naseer Bhutta said that the most important thing in Davis incident was immediate registration of FIR, statements of eye-witnesses and recovery of fire arm from the culprit, as all these things were vital for establishing a case of murder. He said that the information which was awaited include whether Davis enjoys immunity or not and the real name of the Davis. Naseer said that Davis was committing another serious crime by not revealing his real name. He said that no court would accept the actions of Davis as self defence. Jehangir A Joja said that Davis killed two Pakistanis, while the two angles of this case questions the privilege of immunity and self defence. He said that a FIR has been registered against Davis and let the court decide the fate of the US national.

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