Many responsible in the federal and Punjab governments apparently do not know what strategic gains Pakistan has made in the quid pro quo deal to hand over US double murderer Raymond Davis to Washington in a shameful fashion.
On the other hand, most of the authorities are shy to interact with the media. Either they offer no comment or avoid interaction with The News on this matter. However, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, while talking to this correspondent from London, offered to resign if he was found involved in any dubious deal connected with the Davis episode.
He explained that if he, directly or indirectly, was found involved in settling the issue for the Americans through Diyat or interacting in any manner with any member of the judiciary to let Davis go, he would quit the chief ministership.
When asked if he had worked together with any security agency for any “staged” outcome of the Davis issue, he said he was simply unaware of what the security agencies were doing or what they had managed.
“I swear to God that I was not involved in this,” he said. When asked about the friendly prosecution that his government had put forward to facilitate the release of Davis, he said after the heirs of the deceased had accepted the Diyat, the prosecution had no case to pursue.
But when told that his government’s prosecution had neither raised the issue of Fasad-fil-Arz nor contested the early release of the convict in the illicit arms case, he said that he did not know the details as he was travelling to London at that time because of health complications of his elder brother, PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif. He said that he would inquire into the matter once he was back.
Although, Shahbaz Sharif was cautious in his response, some other PML-N leaders are pointing their finger at the ISI. The PML-N spokesman, Pervez Rashid, has already said this but did not explain as to why the PML-N government did not resist what was “wrongfully” being done by the ISI in the operational jurisdiction of the Punjab government.
Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was not available for comment and Prime Minister’s spokesman Shabbir Anwar was also conveyed the question as to what Pakistan had gained strategically in return for the controversial handing over of Raymond Davis. Shabbir’s junior, a lady PRO in the PM Secretariat, promised to return the call but did not.
The Foreign Office Spokesperson, Tehmina Janjua, offered “no comment” with a brief addition that she does not know anything and suggested to this correspondent to talk to the ISPR or the ISI as to what Pakistan had gained.
The ISPR DG was also sent a question by The News staffer Usman Manzoor but he too did not respond till the filing of this report. He was asked, “What strategic gains did the ISI and Army obtain by handing over Raymond Davis to US?”
Ministers are generally oblivious to the secrets of what had really happened in the Davis case and who had bargained what. Generally, the Pakistan Army and the ISI are seen as the real architects of this whole case and it is commonly said that the federal and provincial governments served as facilitators.
However, nothing is shared with the public and even with political rulers as to what Pakistan had gained in return for Davis’ release. Some analysts and commentators are of the view that the ISI had succeeded in limiting the CIA operations in Pakistan but the drone attack within 24 hours of Davis’ release, killing more than 40 innocent Pakistanis, ruled out any change in American policy. Meanwhile, at the Centre, particularly some in the Presidency, are twisting this issue to further their onslaught against the superior judiciary.
Source
http://old.thenews.com.pk/19-03-2011/ethenews/t-4717.htm
On the other hand, most of the authorities are shy to interact with the media. Either they offer no comment or avoid interaction with The News on this matter. However, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, while talking to this correspondent from London, offered to resign if he was found involved in any dubious deal connected with the Davis episode.
He explained that if he, directly or indirectly, was found involved in settling the issue for the Americans through Diyat or interacting in any manner with any member of the judiciary to let Davis go, he would quit the chief ministership.
When asked if he had worked together with any security agency for any “staged” outcome of the Davis issue, he said he was simply unaware of what the security agencies were doing or what they had managed.
“I swear to God that I was not involved in this,” he said. When asked about the friendly prosecution that his government had put forward to facilitate the release of Davis, he said after the heirs of the deceased had accepted the Diyat, the prosecution had no case to pursue.
But when told that his government’s prosecution had neither raised the issue of Fasad-fil-Arz nor contested the early release of the convict in the illicit arms case, he said that he did not know the details as he was travelling to London at that time because of health complications of his elder brother, PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif. He said that he would inquire into the matter once he was back.
Although, Shahbaz Sharif was cautious in his response, some other PML-N leaders are pointing their finger at the ISI. The PML-N spokesman, Pervez Rashid, has already said this but did not explain as to why the PML-N government did not resist what was “wrongfully” being done by the ISI in the operational jurisdiction of the Punjab government.
Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was not available for comment and Prime Minister’s spokesman Shabbir Anwar was also conveyed the question as to what Pakistan had gained strategically in return for the controversial handing over of Raymond Davis. Shabbir’s junior, a lady PRO in the PM Secretariat, promised to return the call but did not.
The Foreign Office Spokesperson, Tehmina Janjua, offered “no comment” with a brief addition that she does not know anything and suggested to this correspondent to talk to the ISPR or the ISI as to what Pakistan had gained.
The ISPR DG was also sent a question by The News staffer Usman Manzoor but he too did not respond till the filing of this report. He was asked, “What strategic gains did the ISI and Army obtain by handing over Raymond Davis to US?”
Ministers are generally oblivious to the secrets of what had really happened in the Davis case and who had bargained what. Generally, the Pakistan Army and the ISI are seen as the real architects of this whole case and it is commonly said that the federal and provincial governments served as facilitators.
However, nothing is shared with the public and even with political rulers as to what Pakistan had gained in return for Davis’ release. Some analysts and commentators are of the view that the ISI had succeeded in limiting the CIA operations in Pakistan but the drone attack within 24 hours of Davis’ release, killing more than 40 innocent Pakistanis, ruled out any change in American policy. Meanwhile, at the Centre, particularly some in the Presidency, are twisting this issue to further their onslaught against the superior judiciary.
Source
http://old.thenews.com.pk/19-03-2011/ethenews/t-4717.htm
