The Pandora’s Box opens

When Raymond Davis killed two Pakistani motorcyclists, perhaps many did not expected, but few,  that this single incident would in time open a Pandora Box that would have farfetched ramifications on the Pak-US relations.  And the way the US government, including the president and many others, responded and asked for immunity for the man clearly showed that there was more to the status of Davis as a technical member of the US Consulate.

The news that has now broken out vindicates fears of those few who felt a rat in the episode right from the onset. A diplomat doesn’t carry a large cache of sophisticated weapons, satellite phones and dozens of magazines – only mercenaries do or people under cover appointment that are always at risk of being exposed or being apprehended.

Raymond Davis had earlier been caught taking photographs in sensitive military areas, but like any white man, he was let free. This time he “chose to be known” by his act of murder. Now a diplomat won’t do a thing like this as he is above all these gun-running adventures. The insistence of Mr. Kerry Lugar that davis should not be tried on espionage in itself carried a confession by this highly placed US official about the true identity of the man that he in fact is a spy and a cover agent of CIA. While these were mere speculations a few days before, but now the Guardian of UK has ratified the concerns of so many.

More news track RD’s link with TTP, the Taliban that US abhor and insist on Pakistan to eliminate them.  As per a news report, RD (Raymond Davis) has had ties with 33 Pakistanis, of which 27 are from TTP and defunct LeJ. The revelation is astonishing, and again to some not so, as many believe that the Taliban game is sponsored covertly by the US in a bid to create chaos in Pakistan and make Pakistan so vulnerable to these mercenaries clad in the disguise of so called soldier of God so as to find an excuse to “safeguard” Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and ultimately ship these out of Pakistan for “safe custody.” This has been the end game of a long drawn strategy that some think got underway the day Pakistan carried out nuclear tests.

As for the diplomatic immunity, US itself has duel standards over it when it comes to committing crimes on US land by other diplomats. In 1997, when a drunken Georgian diplomat overran and killed a 16 years old girl in USA, the US government immediately asked Georgia to invoke the diplomatic immunity of their diplomat for the purpose of trial. Even a Pakistani diplomat and permanent representative at the UN, Mr Akram, when caught in hitting an office employee, Pakistan was asked for withdrawal of his diplomatic immunity. But when a US diplomat killed an Australian in a road accident, the US requested for immunity which was granted. With these double standards, the mightiest democracy rules the world and is presently pressurizing Pakistani government to “immediately release the US diplomat” despite the fact that it took days for the US government itself declare him a diplomat.

The case of RD would not have been made public had there been a military government in place. But despite all ills of the present government, it is a democratic government which has to answer to its people for any wrong or hasty decision. The media has played its role well to apprise people of the facts and what lays behind the face-value of RD, though in some cases overdoing it. And the case under question is not only against RD, but four more like him who came as back support to RD, violated one way traffic rules, overran another motorcyclist, who died on spot, and the vanished and are since hiding in US Consulate Lahore.

RD is one of so many cover agents freely roaming in streets of Pakistan under disguise of tourists and diplomats. Had RD not overreacted and acted immaturely, perhaps such covert operator of CIA would have gone on and on with their assignments to work out a mechanism to weaken Pakistan and ultimately launching the end game.

The unexpected and sudden outburst of public anger against governments in Tunis, Egypt, Bahrain and more so in Libya are no ordinary events. These are to be viewed with utmost caution and detailed analysis as such a move may already be underway to create unrest in Pakistan. Any mishandling of the RD case would have serious consequences on the bilateral relations of the two countries and on the War of (T)error launched by US since invasion of Iraq after 9/11.

The families of the slain motorcyclists are under immense government pressure to withdraw their case against RD as reported in a local newspaper, while the general public is of the view that the case should proceed and be decided by the court of law. Already in despair, the widow of one of the victims committed suicide as she saw no hope of getting justice, adding her blood to the three already slain young men at the hands of the so-called diplomats.  What will be the decision of the court and later the course of action by the government; I am keeping my fingers crossed.


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Posted in: Disputes,Justice,Relations,Social Issues