ALI SUKHANVER

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Is it a logical bartering? Do General Pasha and Raymond Davis enjoy the same status? The Chief of an Intelligence agency on one hand and a killer on the other; is it a fair bargain? According to a recent report in media, the US authorities have linked the immunity of General Pasha, the ISI chief, to the demanded immunity to Raymond Davis. The report says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The US has linked sovereign immunity for ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha in a lawsuit filed by relatives of victims of the Mumbai attacks in a Brooklyn court to the diplomatic immunity for an American arrested for the Lahore double murder. The US administration appears willing to claim sovereign immunity for the ISI chief in this case provided Pakistan also granted diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ It seems that from President Obama to Senator John Kerry, the whole of the US machinery has concentrated all its force and ability simply on one point; the grant of immunity to Raymond Davis. This over consciousness and extra-caring of the US hi-ups for an ordinary CIA agent adds suspicions to the gravity of situation. Surely there must be something more serious and more sensitive behind the scene which has compelled the President of the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s only super power to cry for an ordinary secret agent.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The killing of two innocent citizens in Lahore by Raymond Davis is not as simple a matter as it is being portrayed by the western media. Mlotek, a retired officer from the US state department very rightly says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The American case is very convoluted and appears to be based on smoke and mirrors. No matter what the US government says, this is not an open-and-shut case.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This murder is a very well-calculated and consciously acted upon type of conspiracy against the most trusted and honoured institutions of Pakistan including the Pakistan army, the ISI , the honourable courts and no doubt against the democratic government of Pakistan. The CIA intends to exploit the situation for creating havoc and chaos in the Pakistani society by crafting fissure and cracks between the Government of Pakistan and the People of Pakistan. It could be an attempt to generate a Libya and Egypt type of situation in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan, the ISI, the Armed forces and surely the democratic government of Pakistan, everyone is waiting for what the court decides. Raymond Davis is a professional killer, a criminal, and he would be dealt in the same way as the criminals and murderers are dealt with according to the rules and regulations of Pakistan. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The US authorities are going to face severe consequences as an outcome of this conspiracy. The callously stubborn attitude of USA over the Raymond Davis issue has increased manifold hatred for America in the whole of Pakistani nation. If American eagerness and insistence upon the immunity of Raymond remains the same, the life would become a hell for the Americans living in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan must be thankful to the CIA, to Raymond Davis and to so many other invisible forces for mistakenly providing them with an opportunity of getting united.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Some of the American and western media men and politicians are trying their utmost to create an air of terror and fright among the people of Pakistan by highlighting the worst possible consequences in case Raymond is not bestowed upon the so-called diplomatic immunity and handed over to the US authorities. The consequences according to them include a break up of relations between the ISI and the CIA, removal of economic support to Pakistan and increase in the drone attacks. Three Congressmen Howard McKeon, House Armed Services Committee chairman; John Kline, Education and Labor Committee chairman, and Silvestre Reyes, the senior Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, during their trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan in the last month had warned that the massive American aid to Pakistan may soon be in danger if Islamabad does not release Davis. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Pointing towards the same self created apprehensions, the Guardian says in an article published on 25^th February, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-After a lull of three weeks, the CIA has restarted its drone campaign in the tribal belt with near-daily attacks on militant targetsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The ABC News referred to a statement of Tom Donilon, the US National security advisor, who told Pakistani envoy Hussain Haqqani that the Obama administration will kick him out of the US, close consulates in Pakistan and cancel President Asif Ali Zardari’s upcoming visit to Washington if US official Raymond Davis is not released. The “outlines of the threat” were also confirmed to ABC News by a senior US official who was not authorized to speak on the record, says the channel. But on the other hand Mr.Hussain Haqqani denied any type of such development. He said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-No US official has ever conveyed any personal threats to me or spoken of extreme measures”. The Economic Time and the Times of India also reported the same statement.

Harri Harrann, a local journalist from Mumbai has commented the Raymond case in a very logical and rational manner. He says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-It is very much obvious that Raymond Davis is not a diplomat and he committed a cold blooded murder. Question is, if he had raped and killed a woman, instead of two men-would he still get diplomatic immunity? Would USA have acted in the same way and granted diplomatic immunity to a foreign diplomat committing the same act in USA? The demand of diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis is nothing else but exploitation and blackmailing.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Whatever be the outcome of the Raymond Davis case, one thing is very clear; the whole of Pakistani nation has joined hands together against this CIA spy. The people of Pakistan are least interested in what happens next if Raymond is hanged for his heinous crime. They are taking this case as a test-case which would no doubt prove the supremacy of the judicial system of Pakistan and show the firmness and determination of the law-enforcing agencies of Pakistan. As far as the expected rift between the ISI and CIA is concerned, every Pakistani knows very well that ISI has an independent identity; it needs no support from USA or CIA because it enjoys a very strong love, concrete trust and unshaken confidence from the people of Pakistan; what else must ISI need?

The writer is a Pakistan based bilingual analyst on defence and strategic affairs.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚